


Singing and Spells

by Stujet9rainshine



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beaches, Chickens, Cooking, Courting Rituals, D&D Lore, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Sadness, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fishing, Gardens & Gardening, Gavin Reed is a Mess, Gavin is a witch, Gay Disaster Gavin Reed, Goats, Historical Inaccuracy, Latin, Love Confessions, M/M, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Nines is a siren, Singing, Sirens, Spells & Enchantments, Trans Gavin Reed, Witches, and a hermit, no op trans man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-18 21:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 34,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20646164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stujet9rainshine/pseuds/Stujet9rainshine
Summary: Nines is a Siren and he's had enough of the way things are. So, he's made a foolproof plan to catch and kill a human to prove that he was worth something more.He just never planned for the human he lured to the shore to be a witch.Gavin is a witch lives alone in a cottage on the coast. Well, alone except for his animals and familiar. He thinks his life is perfect. Until he's drawn the shore by a cry for help.





	1. On a Distant Shore

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, its time. Finally here is my entry for the 2019 Reed900 Big Bang. Working with Sion has been a blessing and I'm so happy this took form!
> 
> This is also proof that I have actually been writing recently!
> 
> Also, shout out to Socks and Skye! You guys have helped me and held my hand every step of the way. Its been a blessing! Love you guys!!! (And for being awesome betas)
> 
> Enjoy!!!

Nines hated the shitty hand of cards that his life had dealt him. He wasn't made to babysit guppies. Well, technically he was, but he still despised it. It led to nothing good, just the constant patterns and a lot of heartbreak, which led to a hollow existence.

The routine and oppression were going to drive him mad. He was a fucking  _ Siren _ for Poseidon’s sake and yet he was banned from even singing.

Which is why Nines was in his current predicament. Sneaking away and swimming towards the shore, or at least trying to.

"Nines, this is dangerous. We should head back," Connor, his older brother, said nervously.

Nines hissed, "No, I already told you what I was going to do and you can stay home if you want, but I'm going."

Connor frowned and looked behind them again. His posture was shy as he wrapped his arms around himself. "If Amanda finds out about this, she's gonna kill us," he whispered solemnly. 

Nines snorted, "I'd rather die at this point than stay in that fucking nest another day. I can’t do this anymore." 

Connor finally let out a sigh, sounding defeated. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was tired of it too. "This isn't going to change  _ anything,” _ his voice was bitter, “killing a human and bringing them back is only going to make your life worse." He tried to smile, "They're not going to care. You’re going to get exiled at best and executed at worst. It’s against the order, Nines."

Nines flared his gills in frustration. "Then so be it. I'm done with this, Connor. Like I already said, I can't do this anymore. I have to change  _ something." _ He shook his head, _ "Even _ if it means exile or death."

Connor sucked in a gulp of water. "Fine, I get it," he looked back towards the nest again, "but I don't think I can go with you."

"I understand.” Nines tried to smile and swam up to nuzzle his brother, “I couldn't ask you to."

Connor returned the nuzzle. "Promise me you'll try not to get killed."

"I’ll try my best.” Nines pulled out of the embrace, “You know those humans don't stand a chance against me."

"If you say so," Connor muttered as he swam back a few paces. He gave a reluctant smile to his brother, "Good luck."

"Thank you," Nines started to turn away, "and when I come back. Things will be different, you'll see."

Connor didn't reply as he looked at his brother retreating towards the shore. He had a fear that Nines’ assurance was all too correct.

~

Nines climbed onto the rocks and huffed as he looked out towards the tiny town on the shore he had picked out. He really hoped his plan worked. Normally, Sirens would attack ships in groups or on the shore with others hiding nearby, but he didn't have this luxury. He had to pull this off completely on his own without dying.

He took a deep breath and started with a soft hum. Trying to force the water out of his lungs and warm up the magic. 

Once he finally got used to breathing in the open air, he opened his mouth a let out a beautiful call. To any Siren, it would have sounded horrible from lack of practice, but to any human, it would be enough for the magic to do its job. 

His song floated out like the wind and searched for a willing set of ears.

He didn't end up waiting terribly long before he heard the stumbling footfalls of a human. A clumsy one at that, or what Nines was assuming was clumsy. Considering it sounded like a new guppy smashing around on the seafloor.

_ "Phck," _ the sound was hissed out as Nines heard a thud as the human crashed down on the rocks just outside of view. Clumsy, it was then.

Nines blinked slowly as curiosity started to run through his veins, he’d never seen a living human up close before this. 

He softened his voice but kept singing, hoping to make himself sound a bit scared. He heard the human return to their feet and resumed their trek to where the siren was sitting in waiting. Still blissfully unaware of the fate that was awaiting them.

Nines unsheathed his claws as he scented the air, preparing for his attack. Then he saw the clumsy human. A small wave of surprise went through him as the first thing he noticed was their wide and openly concerned eyes. But before Nines could get a good look at them, the human slipped. Their eyes hastily dropping down to focus back onto the slippery rocks.

"You okay? I heard you and I…" The human appeared to be male. His skin was worn by the sun. There was a bright scar across his nose and maybe a few others to match. His hair was a mousy brown and he had a bit of facial scruff that matched. Then Nines was finally able to tell that his eyes were a green seafoam when he finally looked up from the rocks again.

Nines blinked at the man and locked eyes with him. The human's eyes widened, the open concern turning into terror, which gave the siren a much better look at the interesting color.

"Oh, phck.  _ Oh, phck," _ the man chanted. He tried to take a step back, but he slipped and fell backward landing on his ass.  _ "I can't," _ he glanced back towards the way he came and then back to the lurking siren. "I can't believe I phcking… Shit, shit,  _ shit!" _ Then like a spell was broken, which truthfully that’s what happened, the human was scrambling backward.

At that moment it hit Nines that the human was attempting to escape. His mouth clamped shut, the song ending with a startled chirp.  _ He couldn't let this chance escape him. _ He took that moment and leaped towards the human, hoping to catch him before he got too much further away.

The siren hit his mark and the pair toppled down onto the rocks together. 

The human let out a pitiful and pained noise as the hit the rocks hard. There was barely a moment of silence and stillness before the human started to viciously fight back. He struggled and attempted to throw a few punches, but those were quickly dodged by the towering siren.

Nines hissed as he put his full weight on the human and quickly caught his wrists and pinned those above his head.

_ "Phck you!" _ The human snarled as he continued to struggle fruitlessly. His eyes were wild as he writhed desperately. 

Nines bared his teeth and let out a low growl. He watched with trepidation as the color drained from the human's face. 

Defeat leaked into the pair of seafoam green as they started to shine. The human made a disgusted face as he turned to look away. He wiggled his fingers and when nothing seemed to happen he let all the tension fall from his body. His eyes lost a bit of light as the fight fell away.

Nines hesitated, he felt a sick twist in his stomach at the thought of actually having to kill this human. He let his mouth fall closed as he wondered how the other sirens could kill something so much like them so easily.

Then out of the silence, the human let out a tiny broken laugh. The sound wrong and it felt borderline hysterical. It didn’t last long, just enough to let a few tears slip free. "Not the way I thought I'd go. Lured by a goddamned Siren of all things."

Nines saw an opportunity to fill in the space, "How did you think you would go out?" He felt his heartbeat in his gills as he spoke, his voice shaking a tiny bit.

The human blinked and he looked surprised briefly returning the eye contact, "Figured I would die of old age," he rasped before turning away fully again, "or someone would find me and burn me at the stake or some shit like that."

Nines blinked, "Burn you?"

"With fire," the human sighed, "you're a fish, of course, you don't know what fire is."

Nines hissed again, offended slightly and unsure of what to do next.

The human wiggled his fingers again, "I know you’re probably enjoying this dragging it out thing, but could you please get it over with? I hate waiting, never been very patient."

Nines stared at the human. He knew why he came out here. He had to kill this human and bring him back to his pod to prove that he wasn't just another object. That he was worth  _ something. _ But here he was, the human captured and primed for the kill, yet Nines was terrified to follow through. 

He swallowed around the dry lump in his throat, his gills flared with the motion.

"Oh my God.” The human blinked, then his eyes widened but not in fear. “You  _ can't." _

Nines hissed again, "I fully intend to kill you. Be quiet."

"I've got nothing to lose. So, you're just gonna have to deal with me talking until you off me. Maybe this way you’ll do it quicker," the human attempted to shrug. "You got a name? Mine's Gavin."

Nines stared down at the human. "Nines," he said simply.

Gavin, as the human said he was called, chuckled, "That's a stupid name."

Nines hissed, "Your name is also unappealing."

"That's too bad. I can’t believe you told me your name," Gavin chuckled.  ** _"Nines, Somnum!" _ **

Nines blinked as he felt his whole body filled with lead slowly. He frowned as his ears filled with cotton.  _ "Wha..?" _ Then his vision started to swim and then he collapsed, everything fading away.

~

Gavin panted as he scrambled out from underneath the now lax killer fish man. It was a chore as the siren had to weigh at least a ton.

He stood up and shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe the siren actually gave him his true name. A rare occurrence indeed. Maybe he didn't understand the nature of the magic he wielded.

Nines looked so much less threatening as he snored softly. His gills fluttering in the air. 

Gavin took a few moments to look over the sleeping siren. He was at least eight, maybe nine, feet long and he didn’t appear to have any scales as the stories often told. But before he could look any more the siren’s gills faded away into a pale expanse of his neck. Then, amazingly, his tail slowly morphed into a pair of pale human legs.

Curiosity started to overtake Gavin. He knew that Sirens were an extremely magical being but this was beyond amazing. Not to mention that the Siren just seemed so human and vulnerable snoring away under the magic sleep. 

The human groaned as he made a decision. He  _ knew _ what he was about to do was stupid, but he was nothing if not stupid. He leaned down and rolled the siren over. He picked up the creature and with a heft of effort threw Nines over his shoulder. 

Then he began the long trek back to his house.


	2. Tub Negotiations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are a funny bunch! Thanks so much for the hilarious comments on chapter one, they really made my day.
> 
> Well, enjoy!
> 
> P.S.  
Thanks again to Socks and Syke for being awesome beta's!!!

Gavin walked through the door and was quickly greeted by his familiar, Molly, a soft calico cat. 

She was happy to see him until she noticed the man on his back that she promptly decided to hiss at, which was her way of saying,  _ 'what the fuck?' _

"He told me his true name," He smirked down at her, “Plus, can you feel his magic? It’s insane.”

_ ‘You’re insane!’ _ Molly sent over before she quieted down. She looked at the siren curiously once more before she decided this was not worth her catly interest. She wandered away, going to the dining table chair and going back to sleep. Or pretended to, the witch could tell she was still nervous about their…  _ guest. _

Gavin continued his trip. He paused for a few moments realizing he hadn’t completely thought this through. He noticed he was standing in his living room carrying a lanky and very naked man in his arms. 

“Bathtub!” He declared and promptly turned to take Nines to the bathroom.

It was a task all on its own to get the limp man through the door, but Gavin managed. He stumbled over to the tub, leaned over, and then simply dropped the siren.

Nines didn't even stir as he flopped into the empty porcelain tub. He let out a particularly loud and mildly choked snore at the fall, but he didn’t wake. He wouldn't until Gavin released him from the spell's hold.

Gavin crossed his arms and thought once again about the predicament he had put himself in. 

_ “Aha!”  _ The noise escaped past his lips as an idea hit him. He walked into his living room to find his spool of enchanted rope. Nothing could break through this, except for the enchanter.

He wandered back into the bathroom and over to the tub. He made fast work of tying Nines' pale hands together. Satisfied with his work he turned to pump the water in until the siren was decently submerged. 

The witch watched, mesmerized, as Nines’ tail, fins, and gills returned slowly. Interesting magic was at work with this siren.

Gavin needed to know more about it. Curiosity really did try to get people killed.

Once Nines was fully reformed, Gavin decided he was done stalling. He took a deep breath drawing from the magic around himself,  ** _"Nines, evigilare faciatis."_ **

As if Gavin had hit a play button, Nines sputtered awake. His eyes were wide in panic and he quickly started thrashing around. He splashed water everywhere, but couldn’t get any leverage to get out of the tub. He let out a small roar before he finally seemed to calm down. 

He pulled at the restraints but quickly noticed they had no give. He was panting through both his slack mouth and flaring gills. 

Then he looked up and finally noticed the other person in the room. His eyes narrowed.  _ "You." _ He hissed, "How the fuck did you get me here?" He looked around, his eyes darting from place to place nervously.

Gavin grinned, "Magic." He wiggled his fingers and they sparkled a bit for show. "You told me your true name. Made it to where I could cast spells on you. Made catching fish a whole lot easier, don’t you think?" He taunted.

Nines bared his sharp teeth and promptly started screaming. 

Gavin's hands went to his ears and he collapsed to the floor. The horrible noise making it feel like his ears were bleeding and his head was going to explode. Thank god, he was a magical being himself or this could’ve actually killed him. He ground his teeth and hissed out,  ** _"Nines, silentium!"_ **

Nines' screaming ended in a choked gurgle. He opened his mouth but only a quiet wet sound came out. His gills flared uselessly and his eyes showed sheer horror. Panicked his hands went to his throat to check for physical damage. When he didn’t find any he blinked and looked up at Gavin with the most pathetic expression.

The witch snorted, "Yeah, no. Not letting you sing or anything like that. Can't believe I fell for it the first time. Not letting you get me again. And that screaming fucking hurt, you absolute cunt."

Nines shook his head. He opened his mouth and all he managed was a clinking noise and then his frown deepened. Then after one more pull at the ropes, he sank down. He hung his head in utter defeat.

Gavin stood up slowly and decided to look,  _ really look,  _ at the trapped Siren. His tail was definitely scaleless and a sharp black and white, which kind of resembled an Orca. His eyes were inhuman crystal blue and his hair was either black or dark brown. His skin was very fair and he had a smattering of freckles and moles. 

Until that moment Gavin had never understood what the sailors meant when they blabbered about the beauties that Sirens were, but no sailor had ever mentioned a  _ male _ Siren before. They weren’t supposed to exist. And well, Gavin was definitely too gay for his own good at times.

He hummed as he took a seat next to the tub. Trying to get closer to the siren’s level.

Nines looked up and met his eyes for a moment before he looked back down at the water. His eyes shined but his lip still curled, almost like a cornered puppy.

Gavin could have sworn Nines looked like he wanted to cry, but it could have been the water or the lightning. Nonetheless, he still had several questions. "So, Nines," he started, "if you promise not to sing or do any more of that god awful screaming again, I'll give your voice back.  ** _If_ ** you answer some of my questions."

Nines looked up and shrugged as much as he could with the bindings. 

The witch took that as a  _ ‘yes.’ _ "Okay, but I will put the silence spell right back as soon as you do something funky. And I might just burn you while I'm at it."

Nines looked around for a moment before he nodded once, but didn't return eye contact this time.

Gavin took the nod at face value.  ** _"Nines, disputatio."_ **

Nines coughed once and his hand returned to his throat. Relief washed over his features. Then he turned to look back at Gavin, "W-,” He cleared his throat, “Why haven't you killed me yet?" he jumped straight to the point.

Gavin hummed, it was a fair question. "As I said, I know your true name. Not many magical creatures are stupid enough to do that. So, I took you back here so I could maybe practice some magic on you. Plus, the magic that surrounds you is quite fascinating."

The siren was silent for a few moments and then clicked his tongue, "So, you intend to kill me eventually."

Gavin shrugged, "Maybe."

Nines huffed, his gills flaring with the motion, "You'd be doing me a favor at this point."

The witch stalled at the sheer defeat in his voice. He had a completely different way he was he wanted to steer this conversation now. "And why's that?"

Nines looked at him and his grey eyes searched his face. Seeming satisfied, he continued, "I failed."

"At killing me?" Gavin asked simply.

Nines gave a curt nod, but his eyes clouded a bit. The siren wasn’t telling the full truth.

Gavin shook his head and decided to take a shot in the dark, trying to find the untold part of that truth. "Isn't that like the whole thing that Sirens are known for, the killing people thing?"

"That's what  _ female _ Sirens are known for," Nines snorted, the sound harsh, "Males, like me, aren't allowed to participate in that. We're required to stay at the nest, raise babies, and look pretty." The siren sneered as he spoke, clearly displeased with what he was saying. “Killing you or any human was my ticket to a better life. But, since I broke several codes and failed, I’m as good as dead if I return. And as magically as you are, you still have nothing on the leader of my pod.”

The witch chewed on that knowledge. He raised an eyebrow was intrigued and he pointed at Nines' tail, "If you hate it so much, why don't you just leave? Instead of a half baked murder plan?"

Nines locked eyes with Gavin and his mouth opened and closed a few times,  _ "Leave?"  _ he drew the word out.

Gavin nodded, "Yeah, you have a lot of magic. You could very much could have just transformed into a human and left your old life behind, walked right out of the ocean."

Nines looked intently at his tail and gave a tiny twitch of the fin, "I could’ve done that, couldn't’ve I?" Then he looked back at Gavin, "Murder felt like an easier option at the time." The smile he gave was small but genuine, “Turns out it was as not easy as I expected.”

"Yeah, seen you get cold feet," a beat, "Cold fins? Cold tail?  _ Whatever. _ Fuck the logistics.

Nines chuckled, the sound musical. 

"No matter." Gavin waved a hand around. "So, I'm taking a wild guess you don’t want to return to the ocean?”

Nines huffed, "Not unless I want to be hunted down to be exiled formally or be killed ritualistically."

"That's a gamble," Gavin whistled. He looked at the downcast Siren and knew very well he shouldn't be doing this, but like he said he was known for being stupid. "So, Nines. Wanna stay here with me?"

Nines' jaw dropped and he looked at Gavin with wide eyes.  _ "What?" _

Gavin rolled his eyes. "Well, you and me both know you can't kill me and I don't want to kill you, indirectly or not. So, why don't you stay here with me and I'll teach you how to act human so you can be free of the weird societal pressures you hate so much."

Nines looked at his tail and gave it a conscious twitch. Then he looked back at Gavin and gave a small shrug, "I've got nothing to lose."

"Then it's settled." Gavin clapped his hands together. "Well, get your land legs. I need to make dinner."


	3. One Step at a Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to all the wonderful hands on deck with this fic. Sion, Socks, and Skye. You're still the bestest people!

Nines had never really used his legs before this very moment. So, stumbling out of the tub and landing face-first onto the floor was no real surprise. 

Gavin, on the other hand, was quite surprised. "What the  _ phck?" _ he gasped, "Are you okay?"

"I apparently do not know how to work these," Nines muttered into the floor. He pushed himself into a sitting position, “That didn’t go as I planned.”

Gavin's face had a mild amount of panic as he offered Nines a hand. "Well, let's get you started on this walking business.”

Nines took the offered hand and he was pulled to his feet. He felt his legs wobble from the middle, specifically his knees. If that was the correct word in common. 

He stumbled and his arms instinctively reached out and latched onto Gavin’s shirt.

The witch gasped and his hands went to catch the siren by his middle. “Woah, you okay?”

Nines scoffed, “I think I need to figure out the  _ standing _ business first.”

There were a couple of seconds of silence before an awkward giggle burst from Gavin, “Okay, yeah. I really put the cart in front of the horse here, didn’t I?”

The siren looked at him with owlish eyes, “I have no idea what that even  _ means.” _

“Oh, shit. Common isn’t your native tongue, is it?” Gavin asked as he continued to support the limp limbed man.

“No,” Nines huffed, “But most sirens know it.” He looked down and frowned. His legs looked really skinny compared to his tail, he though aimlessly.

“That’s cool,” The witch mused. “Let me know when you’re up to taking a few steps.”

Nines let out a clicking noise, something that meant close to _ ‘fine.’ _ They stood still as he felt the shaking slowly start to stop and he could put more weight on his legs.

Eventually, he unlocked his hands from Gavin’s shirt. He then deliberately stood up on his own and didn’t fall. He smiled a little bit and looked up to notice that where he was holding onto the other man there were small tears in his shirt. He looked down and looked at his hands, he still had his claws it seemed. 

It was then that Nines noticed he was stark naked. The oddities of humanity. He looked up, “It appears I am very much naked.”

“Yeah, you are.” Gavin turned a little red and let out a huff of laughter, “Ready to take a walk towards the bedroom so I can get you some clothes?"

The siren nodded and stubbornly took his first step.

After several minutes of fumbling, Nines and Gavin made it to a room with a bed and a closet full of clothes.

"Pick out whatever you want to wear," Gavin waved his hand in a sweeping motion. Then he froze and sighed, "Actually, let me do that for you." His eyes seemed to catch something and he pulled out a black object. "This turtleneck might be a good bet. Considering you have those tiny lines were your gills are supposed to be."

Nines touched the side of his smoother than normal neck. Gavin was right the skin was slightly raised where his gills had sealed. 

"Okay." He responded as he took the shirt and slipped it on over his head. He wasn't sure how he liked the fabric touching his neck. It was a tad choking but it was something he could get used to.

Gavin handed him another, much smaller article of clothing once he was done, "Your legs go through the holes."

Nines took the clothing and gave it a skeptical once over and stumbled to put them on. He could barely keep himself upright but he really liked the feel of the fabric on his legs and pelvic triangle. "I like these. What are they called?"

"Underwear," the witch replied as he turned his attention back to the closet. After a few more moments of digging, he pulled out a longer pair of leg covers. "Do the same with these. They should fit."

Nines repeated the process, much steadier this time and then he was fully dressed. He hummed at the interesting sensation of clothes but he liked it. 

"I like clothes," he stated simply.

Gavin chuckled, "Good, humans wear clothes pretty much all the time up here."

Nines nodded in understanding. He wasn't going to complain. After he got past the restricting sensation, the long neck on the shirt made him want to preen like he found a lovely treasure. And in a way he had.

Gavin stepped out of the closet and closed the door. He then turned his full attention to Nines. "Come on, I have to start dinner." Then started to walk out the room. He glanced behind him once or twice to make sure the siren wasn’t having too much trouble getting around.

Nines scrambled to follow but was relieved to find they weren't traveling far. Just to what appeared to be a cozy main room.

Gavin pointed at the chair and table, "Sit."

Nines hesitated before he went through the motions of sitting down. He wasn't sure of all these new things. He looked around and then back to the witch, "This is all so new, but not at the same time."

"Yeah," Gavin shrugged as he poked around a well-stocked kitchen, "I will warn you I'm not a normal human though. As you've already figured out I'm a witch. So, I'll teach you to be as normal as witchly possible."

Nines nodded unsure of what that entailed. He had only heard sailor’s tales about witches and most of those were less than flattering. But cackling women with a knack for evil deeds failed to describe Gavin in any way. Instead, the witch that was in front of him was humming to himself cutting up some vegetables. Someone who had taken in a Siren of all things and offered him a place in his home. 

It struck Nines that Gavin was now the first person that had been kind to him of his own volition. Sure, Gavin had cast a few spells on him which was fair given Nines had tried to kill him. 

All the oddities of this situation made his head spin a little bit on its axis.

Only after a few more minutes of watching the other man cook with an impossibly skilled hand did Nines finally break the comfortable silence, "Gavin?"

The witch looked up at him with a raised brow, "What’s up, Fish Man?"

Nines felt his face heat under the curious stare and nickname. "You know some things about me, but I know little of you. So, I have to ask, why are you a kind witch living alone on a mostly empty coast?"

Gavin paused in his work for a moment then he resumed putting vegetables into the pot. "I wouldn't call myself kind, per se. But I'm alone out here because people aren't  _ that _ fond of witches," he sighed and his eyebrows pinched together, "Do too much magic or mess with the wrong people you end up almost dead." He subconsciously touched the scar on his nose, before he blinked away the sadness clouding his eyes. "But I like the beach. Plenty of potion ingredients and components. The town is far away but close enough that I can travel there if the need arises.” A beat as he side-eyed the siren with a smirk, “And it's quiet…  _ usually.” _

Nines processed the information and gave a small smile at the jab. "Yes, this beach is lovely. I wouldn't know much about potion making part."

Gavin wiped his hands on his pants and stepped away from the stove, “Yeah, most people don’t. But yeah, this little coast is my own little paradise. Got everything I need out here.” His tone was a bit hollow, but he smiled anyway.

Nines nodded, but wasn’t sure what else to say. He looked around the small cabin and noticed several things. There were a plethora of shelves with miscellaneous bottles, jars, books, and other loose articles. The interior was warmly decorated, but nonetheless a bit messy. 

He continued to look until something bumped his leg. He let out an undignified chirping noise as he flinched away from the source of contact. He looked down and seen a fluffy white, orange and black creature. 

Fascinated, he blinked at the creature and then balked as it hissed at him. Nines, offended, hissed back.

The creature turned to look at Gavin, who just shrugged, and then back to Nines. The look was unimpressed.

Gavin laughed, “Well, Molly. I don’t know what you expected.”

Nines continued his staring contest with this ‘Molly.’ “What is this angry hissy creature?” he asked, still refusing to break eye contact.

“That is my cat,” Gavin answered, “My familiar to be more specific. You can pet her if you want.”

Nines blinked and decided to see what would happen. He placed his hand in front of her nose and waited.

Molly sniffed him and, after a tense second, she bumped his hand, giving him permission for the promised pets.

Nines hesitantly petted her. He was amazed by how soft she was. “I like how soft she is,” he whispered as he continued to pet her.

“That she is.” Gavin chuckled as he appeared in Nines’ field of vision, taking a seat in the other chair across the tabletop. “Food’ll be done soon.”

Nines hummed finally pulling his hand away from the soft, tri-colored fur. “That’s good. Care to tell me what it’s like being a witch?”

Gavin looked around and then shrugged, “Sure. If you tell me about being a Siren.” 

That opened them up for a long chat about the basics of each of their cultures and traditions. They talked for a while, all the way through the food being served, between enthusiastic bites of food, and until well after the sun disappeared below the horizon.

Gavin was the one to break the conversation with a yawn. “Well, Nines. It is time for me to sleep. What about you?”

Nines blinked slowly. He was tired. “I could do with some sleep. Holding this form is oddly draining.”

The witch bobbed his head around, “Yeah, I know that feeling. Magic is exhausting,” A beat, “Where do you want to sleep?”

Nines hummed and gave it some thought, “The weird water basin I woke up in would be fine.”

Gavin laughed heartily, “The phcking  _ tub?” _

The siren shrugged, “Yes, the  _ 'tub.'”  _

“Works for me,” Gavin said after hesitating for a moment. He stood up and stretched. He pointed at the taller man’s chest, “Just make sure not to get your clothes wet.”

Nines nodded, “That’s reasonable.” He stood up and wobbled a bit. He had to reach out and catch the back of the chair to keep from tipping over.  _ Fucking land legs, _ he thought bitterly. He then wondered how long it was going to take to be comfortable walking around.

Gavin was by his side in an instant, “Need some help?”

“No, I believe I’m okay. Just stood up too quickly, apparently.”

“I know that feeling.” The witch stepped back, “Well, goodnight and all that shit, Fish Man.”

“Goodnight.” Then they wandered towards their respective sleeping areas. 

Nines closed the door to the human’s tub room. 

He frowned for a moment, unsure of what to do first. But undressing seemed a good first step considering there was still water in the tub. He tugged the shirt over his head in a tangle of limbs. He placed it on the table with the mini tub in it. 

He plopped down on the floor and had a much harder time peeling off the pants and underwear. When they were finally removed, they joined the turtleneck on the tub table.

He sighed happily as he climbed into the tub. The water was a welcome sensation after being on dry land for so long. He let his tail form and once he sunk his neck into the water, his gills fluttered open. Contented, he closed his eyes and quickly dozed off.


	4. Baskets of Eggs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Domestic fluff is the best.
> 
> Thanks again for the help! Sinclair, Socks, and Skye!!!

Gavin woke up to a crashing sound and he launched out of bed. 

He hesitated long enough to summon his broom. Then he was approaching the sound, holding onto the bristles of the broom ready to smack a bitch. But upon crossing the threshold into the living room, his eyes widened to see Nines awkwardly trying to put things back onto a clearly broken shelf.

_ “The hell?” _ Gavin gaped.

Nines’s face turned a bright red and he made a small series of clicking noises. He looked up at Gavin and gave an awkwardly toothy smile. “I broke the shelf.”

“I can phcking see that!” Gavin sent the broom away and shook his head. “The  _ how _ is what I want to know.”

Nines put the bottles he was holding down, face still beet red. “I lost my balance and the shelf came down with me.”

Gavin stared for a few moments before he started laughing. 

The siren’s blush spread to his neck and he looked away.

Gavin got his sense back and walked towards the mess. “Eh, it’s fine, Fish Man. I can fix this easy.”

Nines still didn’t return eye contact. His arms crossed over his chest and he shrunk in on himself trying to look small, which looked odd on a man of well over six feet tall.

Gavin did not like that. “Hey, really. It’s not a big deal.” He raised his hands up and didn’t miss the tiny flinch that Nines gave. He didn’t linger or comment on it. Instead, he started to pull magic to his fingers, preparing the slightly complex spell.  ** _“Reparantes.”_ ** With that, a swirl of glittery air, the shelf, and spilled bottles started to move around until everything was righted again. 

Technically, he didn’t need to do an incantation for spelled cast on inanimate objects, but it made the spell easier. Which was preferable because he hadn’t had his coffee yet. He lowered his hands and turned to Nines,  _ “Ta da! _ No harm, no foul.”

Nines’ face started to lose the embarrassed shade and he nodded once, “I’m sorry.”

Gavin waved it away, “Like I said no biggie. Let’s have some breakfast, shall we?”

Nines nodded again and stood up and silently began to follow Gavin’s lead.

Gavin wandered across the room and started to prepare his percolator, he wanted his cup of morning coffee and he was gonna get it. He set the prepared percolator down on the stove opened the front of the stove and threw a few logs into the cavity.  ** _“Ignis,”_ ** He blew the word onto the logs and they lit up in flames quickly. That spell he did for show, because normally he wouldn’t use magic for something so trivial.

From somewhere behind him, Nines let out a small hiss.

Gavin snickered as he closed the door and turned towards the siren. “That, Fish Man, is fire.”

“I know what fire is.” Nines rolled his eyes, “Doesn’t mean I like the shit.”

“Fair enough.” Gavin conceded with a wave of his hands. “What do you want to eat?”

“I have no idea what you have,” Nines said as he flopped down into the dining chair.

“Ever had eggs?” Gavin asked.

“I’ve had my fair share of roe and caviar,” Nines said with a soft lilt. An accent that Gavin hadn’t noticed until it bounced on the familiar terms.

“Not those kinds of eggs, like chicken eggs,” Gavin said as he pulled a brown one out of his egg crate.

Nines’ eyes widened as he zeroed in on the brown oval. “What in Posiden’s name in  _ that? _ It looks like a fucking smooth rock.”

Gavin laughed and didn’t stop as he grabbed a bowl and cracked the egg into it. 

Nines looked disgusted and in awe.  _ “What the fuck?” _ he whispered, amazed.

Gavin laughed some more as he cracked open a few more eggs. 

Nines was curious enough that he stood up and made his way over to where Gavin was cooking. “I have so many concerns.”

“Don’t worry it probably won’t kill you,” Gavin shrugged as he started scrambling the eggs and threw a few spices in.

_ “Probably?” _

“I mean people have allergies and shit like that. So, probably is a solid guess,” Gavin responded as he grabbed a pan and tossed it onto the stove next to the coffee pot and poured the eggs in.

“How comforting,” Nines muttered as he looked over Gavin’s shoulder at the stove.

Gavin suddenly became acutely aware of how close Nines was standing. The siren was almost a full head taller than him. His chin could easily be rested on the top of Gavin’s head without much effort. That thought made Gavin’s heart race a bit faster as he kept his eyes trained on the cooking scrambled eggs. 

Nines hummed and then turned away and grabbed an egg out of the crate and raised it up to look it.  _ “Fascinating,” _ he whispered as he turned the egg around and back, his gaze intense.

Gavin huffed, to hide his flustered state he snatched the egg out of Nines’ hand. “Don’t want you to break it, they make a nasty mess.”

Nines blinked and lowered his hand slowly as if surprised by the sudden lack of egg. “Okay.” He sullenly returned to his seat.

Gavin finished cooking the eggs and plated them in silence, adding a piece of homemade bread for good measure. Then he placed a plate in front of Nines. “Enjoy,” He said with a grin, attempting to break the weird tension he created.

The siren smiled as he picked up the fork, “Thank you.” He looked at the utensil and examined it closely, but didn’t eat with it yet.

Gavin took his own seat and watched as Nines deliberately picked up and put a bite into his mouth. He chewed slowly, his eyes widened and he started basically shoveling the food into his mouth.

The witch shook his head as he put the eggs on the bread and they ate in comfortable silence. He was enjoying just having the company for once.

After they finished eating, Gavin threw the plates in his basin sink and stretched, “Come on, Fish Man. We’ve got chores to do.” He grabbed his egg basket as he started towards the door. Only pausing to step into his shoes.

“Of course,” Nines stood up and slowly followed the human.

“So, you think the eggs are fascinating?” Gavin asked as they walked into his large yard.

“I do,” Nines said slowly.

“Good,” Gavin led the siren to a tiny house. There, he saw his lovely hens, “Good morning, girls and Benedict.” 

The chickens came running up to greet their human, but slowed as they noticed the new humanoid.

“Oh, he’s with me,” Gavin assured them as he gave the bravest lady, Nugget, her scritches. He looked at the wide-eyed siren, “Come on, then.”

Nines looked at them and frowned, “These are the creatures that lay the eggs?”

“Yup,” Gavin said as he walked up to collect said eggs. He opened the hatch and started to grab the eggs, but it wasn’t until he was done that he noticed Nines hadn’t moved. Instead the siren was standing stock still and barefoot as the chickens investigated him. “Nines?”

Nines startled a bit as he looked up, “Sorry, I’m a bit unsure of what to think of these beaked squawking egg makers

Gavin squeezed his eyes closed as he let out a messy snort-laugh,  _ “Beaked squawking egg makers?” _ he laughed in earnest, “They’re called  _ chickens!” _

“How was I supposed to know that?” Nines hissed out, his face turning red.

“You couldn’t have,” Gavin laughed some more as he walked up and patted Nines’ shoulder, “They won't hurt you.”

Nines huffed, but there was an inkling of a smile on his face. "That's good to know."

Gavin hummed and waiting for the girls to notice he had thrown their food on the ground. He made a few clicking noises to encourage them to leave the nervous siren alone. When they did, he started toward the other end of his yard. "The next stop is the garden."

Nines hesitated before he slowly made his way away from the birds. "The garden?"

Gavin shrugged, "it's where I grow most of my food. Veggies and the sort."

"Ah, okay." Nines followed behind staring intently at the ground, watching his feet deliberately.

Gavin found it endearing, but he knew that the siren probably wasn't comfortable. "Wait. We need to get you some shoes."

The siren blinked, "shoes?"

Gavin huffed as he turned around and started walking towards the house. "Yes, shoes. The things I'm wearing on my feet. We need to get you a pair and maybe something a little less warm to wear."

Nines followed behind, still stumbling, "This is a lot to take in. _ More _ clothes?  _ Shoes?" _

Gavin chuckled, "Yeah, come on." He waved for Nines to follow him. He only paused long enough to put the eggs in the kitchen.

He led them back into the bedroom and he grabbed one of his loose sleep shirts. Something that would hopefully fit the much larger man. "Here."

Nines took the garment and quickly switched the two shirts out. Once he had the T-shirt on the pale expanse of his neck was visible, even a few freckles and moles were peeking out. He grinned and flared out his gills in their newfound freedom. "I like this so much more." He looked down at himself and pulled a bit on the fabric, "To wear at least. I find myself preferring how the other one looks on me."

Gavin found himself liking both outfits for different reasons, "They both look good." He grabbed a pair of socks and handed them off, "put those on your feet."

Nines plopped down onto the ground did as he was told. 

Once the socks were on his feet his wiggled his toes and frowned. "These are going to take some getting used to. There like fins, but clearly not."

Gavin laughed, "Yeah. I can see why that would be." He grabbed a pair of shoes that he didn't like and knew they wouldn't fit Nines so he got to play around with his magic.  ** _"Maior."_ ** Then like magic, the shoes increased in size.

Nines hissed a little bit, "I don't like that."

Gavin snickered as he offered the shoes to Nines, who took them after eyeing them for a moment. Once he slid them on they were ready to get back to work.

"Come on then we’ve got veggies to pick."

Nines stumbled and walked awkwardly, kind of like a penguin. "I also do not like this."

"You'll get used to it. I promise it's better than walking around barefoot."

The siren sighed, "We'll see."

Gavin shoved an empty basket into Nines' hands. "You sure complain a lot."

Nines rolled his eyes. "That's not the first time I've heard that. Let's go pick the veggies." The siren started his way out the door, each step getting more and more confident and less penguin-like. 

Gavin followed suit and noticed that Nines’ ears had turned back into fins and his gills were fluttering in the air. The witch wasn't quite sure when that had happened, but it was a nice look. 

Shaking his head, he took a couple of big steps to get in front. "So, if I remember correctly today we should be getting tomatoes, squash, and beans."

"I know what none of those words mean, but I trust you." The siren mused as he padded along.

Gavin laughed, "You have so much to learn."

"Isn't that the truth?" Nines mused. 

He arrived at the garden at that time, "Well, Fish Man. You're about to learn about vegetables." 

"Sounds good to me," Nines replied with a smile. 

Gavin walked up to the row of plants with red, yellow, and green fruits. He pulled a red one from the vines and displayed it, "This is a tomato…" 

They went through the whole garden like that. Gavin explaining what things were and if possible letting Nines sneak a taste. 

By the end of it, The siren looked exhausted and it wasn’t even noon yet.

“You okay, Fish Man?” Gavin asked as he placed the assorted veggies on the counter.

“Walking is exhausting,” Nines gave a tired smile, “As is holding my finless form.”

“Why don’t you take a nap in the tub or something and I’ll wake you for dinner?

Nines looked like he gave the idea some good thought before he spoke next, “Sounds like a good idea. Show me how to refill the tub, please.”

Gavin did so and tried not to show his embarrassment as Nines started to strip completely before he was even out of the room. 

The witch rushed away and closed the door behind him, his heart working overtime. Who knew that Sirens could be seductive without even trying? He shook his head. “No, Gavin you’re just stupid and really phcking gay,” he scolded himself.

He walked away and decided that it was time to bake some fucking bread or something.


	5. Runes

Nines enjoyed his nap in the cool, freshwater in the tub. He never knew how nice saltless water could feel, fresh and crisp without the bite of salt or the tang of the ocean. Just water, nothing more nothing less. He felt spoiled, dozing as his gills fluttered happily. His nap only ended as was planned with Gavin knocking on the door.

“Hey, Nines. I just plated supper. You ready to eat?” The witch called out.

Nines blinked the sleep away and pulled his mouth above the water. He swallowed down several gulps of air and forced the water out of his lungs before he could speak. “Yes, give me a few minutes and I’ll be out.”

He reformed his legs and climbed out of the tub. He was finally able to do this precise movement without fumbling as much now. Which was to say, he didn’t fall on his face or his ass this time. He got redressed quicker than last time and then he walked out of the room he now knew was called a bathroom, and to which he would now resolutely refer to as the tubroom because there was no need for something to have so many names.

He walked into the main room of the witch’s cabin and sniffed the lovely smell that wafted through the air. He hummed as he took his place at the table. “Smells delicious.”

Gavin preened as he put a plate in front of Nines. “I hope so. It’s one of my favourites.”

“Oh?” Nines asked as he scooped a bit of the off white veggie. He observed mildly and then shoved it into his mouth. “What is this?” he asked with his mouth still a little full.

Gavin swallowed the bite he was chewing and pointed at the veggie on his own plate, “A baked potato with butter and cheese.”

“It is quite tasty,” Nines complimented because it was. He never expected to try so many foods here. He found himself quite liking the expansion of his palette beyond the products of the sea. He ate a few more bites of the potato and then turned his attention to the other part of the meal. It was what looked like to be assorted meats on bread. “And this?”

“A sandwich.” Then Gavin made a show of demonstrating to Nines how to go about eating it.

Nines hummed before he shoved a bite into his mouth. He basically moaned at the taste, his fangs grew out against his will as he chewed. He finished the bite and looked up at Gavin with a smile.

Gavin was frozen, his face had a bright blush on it and his eyes were set on Nines’ mouth. After a moment more of staring, he shook himself out of his stupor, “Glad you like it.”

Nines hummed, “I really do.” He briefly wondered why the human had a fascination with his now sharp teeth, considering they were supposed to be frightening. But Nines’ brain didn’t linger on that and instead, he turned his focus back to the lovely meal the witch had prepared for him.

They ate in relative silence, except for Nines appreciative noises and as soon as they were done Gavin was out of his chair. "Well, I need to go take care of Frankie and Isabella!" Then he was heading out the back door.

Nines stared after the witch in confusion. He had no idea who Frankie and Isabella were. Or why Gavin was in such a hurry. The witch was still full of mystery. 

He decided to stand up and follow after the human. But as soon as he made it to the door Molly appeared and gave him a surly hiss.

He frowned down at the cat and sighed. "Okay, I get it. I'll wait." 

Molly seemed satisfied with that and sat down and started to give herself a bath. Still blocking the door.

Nines decided that it was time to maybe explore a tiny bit. He looked around the house.

The witch's cottage was small. There looked to be only three main rooms. The large kitchen and living room combo, the tubroom, and Gavin's bedroom. But what really caught the Siren's eyes were the books. Gavin had shelves upon shelves of them. 

Nines couldn't help but direct his curiosity towards the collection. He pulled the first book from the shelf that caught his eye. Upon opening it he clearly noticed it was in a language he didn't know. He could read the basics of common and could read and write in Rune, but this language escaped him. A slight bit of aggravation ran through him. Most of the women in his tribe could speak and read at least six languages. Made hunting and the like easier and all that.

He shelved the book and pulled out another. The same. He repeated the process until he came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to be able to read any of the books in the collection.

He sighed and deliberately started looking for a book in Rune. 

"Whatcha reading, Fish Man?" Gavin asked into the silence. Effectively announcing his return.

Nines jumped a bit and quickly put the book back into the shelf. "I'm not sure. These are not in a language I know."

"You're not the only one. Most of my books are in Latin. It's technically a dead language."

Nines hummed, that made him feel a little better. He turned around and seen Gavin carrying two jars filled with white liquid. "What's that?" 

"Huh?" Gavin gaped until it clicked, "oh!" He lifted one of the jars, "This is milk."

Nines felt his eyebrows rise, _"Strange."_

Gavin shrugged as he put the jars onto the counter. "You're not wrong."

"Want me to show you some of the stuff in the books?"

Nines perked up, "Please."

Gavin grinned and walked over. He scanned the shelf and made a triumphant noise as he selected one. "This is about basic potion brewing. It should be easy enough." 

Then they took a seat on the comfy, long chair and started to pour over the book until they parted ways for sleep. Nines caught himself pouring over the book a bit more before he finally retired to his tub.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, well I kind of forgot to post more of this. But I got a comment on it and decided it was time for another chapter :D  
Sorry for the wait!


	6. The Girls and Benedict

Gavin was singing a soft song to himself as he cooked a bit of ham. He knew busting open one of his hams was a bit much, considering he only did that for special occasions. But he decided to count this as one. Some fried ham and eggs for breakfast, some cold cuts for lunch, and a roast for dinner. His mother would have thought he was trying to woo his houseguest. 

He froze. Was he wooing Nines? He hoped not. He just met the siren a few days ago. He shook his head. He was just spoiling Nines because he was just so new to the world. Nothing more, nothing less.

Gavin was just finishing up as Nines emerged from the bathroom. He looked like he didn't sleep well. Maybe the tub wasn't that comfortable? Probably, his tail hung out quite a bit over the side while he slept.

"Good morning, Nines," Gavin greeted with a wave, "I made breakfast."

Nines sniffed the hair and gave a small smile, "I can tell. Smells nice."

Gavin beamed, "Wait until you taste it! It's one of my favourites."

"What are we waiting for?" Nines mused as he made his way towards the table.

"Me to finish cooking," Gavin snickered. 

Nines blinked for a second before he let out a snort and gave his head a tiny shake. “Wow,” he whispered more to himself.

“What? I’m hilarious,” Gavin retorted as he cracked some eggs into the pan. 

“Whatever you say,” Nines said with a small smile.

Gavin shook his head and turned his attention back to his cooking. “You sleep okay?”

“Mostly. The tub water is a bit weird,” Nines mused, “I never thought that water could feel so different.”

“Yeah, seems like a thing that you wouldn’t think about until you had to.” Gavin hummed while flipping the eggs. “What’s the difference feel like?”

“Well, saltwater is...  _ tangy? _ And maybe a bit heavy. Does that make sense?”

“I mean a little? Saltwater is just gross to me.” Gavin replied. Then he decided that the eggs were done and started plating breakfast. “What about the freshwater?”

“It’s… clean.” Nines looked thoughtful, “Like it moves through my gills easier. But it’s going to take some getting used to.”

Gavin slid the plate to Nines’ spot, “That’s fair. What me to fetch you some seawater for you to sleep in?”

“That seems like a lot of work, but I never said I didn’t like the tub water. I do.”

"Fair is enough. I have to remember different doesn't always mean bad," Gavin chuckled as he nodded his head around. He shoved a bite of food in his mouth. "Eat your food, Fish Man."

Nines chuckled as he dug in, making a few happy noises for good measure. 

~

They finished breakfast and Gavin put the dishes in the sink. He stopped and stretched, his back popping for his efforts. He turned to Nines with a grin. "Ready for the morning chores?"

"Yes, same as yesterday?" Nines asked with a tiny grin. His fangs peeking out in an oddly adorable way.

"Pretty much," Gavin grabbed a basket and handed to Nines. "I'm gonna teach the girls' names today."

"The girls' names?" Nines parroted 

"The chickens they all have names. Come on." Gavin didn't wait for a response as he made his way to the back door.

He turned the corner and make a few soft clicking noises as he walked towards the girls’ little coop. "Good morning ladies," he cooed, "I don't think you've all been formally introduced."

A few clucks were his response.

"Girls and,  _ oh, _ Benedict,” He made a wide gesture towards Nines, “This is Nines. He's a fish man, but he's cool." He turned to Nines with a wide grin and pointed the chickens one by one. "The rooster is Benedict. He's sweeter than most roosters. Then the girls are Eggberta, Delilah, Katherynn, Felicity, Shelly, Henrietta, and the tiny one is Nugget." After he finished, he sat down and the small chicken, Nugget, climbed into Gavin’s lap. He started to pet her as soon as she settled in.

Nines tried to absorb the information, but it really was a lot to take in. “Those are all very lovely names.”

Gavin beamed as he looked up from Nugget, “Aren’t they? They really are the sweetest. I love them so much.”

Nines felt himself blush at how earnest and frankly adorable Gavin was being. He nervously decided to sit down next to Gavin and get a closer look at the chickens. The group quickly surrounded him to check him out in more detail than yesterday. He noted pretty quickly they couldn’t move their eyes and they meant the bobbed their head around to look at things, which Nines found very endearing.

“You can pet them too, you know” Gavin mused as he reached out and took one of Nines’ hands and guided it towards who he believed was Shelly.

Nines let Gavin guide him and gave Shelly a timid pet and was amazed by how soft she was.

She blinked at him and promptly deemed Nines acceptable and walked towards him and hopping into his lap.

Nines let out a tiny squeak and flailed briefly. He looked at Gavin with wide eyes.

The witch laughed softly at him, “She likes you, calm down.” He once again guided the siren’s hand to pet the chicken.

Nines’ attention went to how warm Gavin’s hand was. The contact was gentle and sweet as he guided the siren through a few more pets.

“There ya go. She can’t hurt you,” The witch shook his head, “For someone capable of killing almost anything you sure are nervous.”

“Capability and the want to are very different,” Nines said seriously, “You could have very well killed me on that beach too.”

Gavin made a face and pulled his hand away turning his attention back to Nugget. He was silent for a moment. “You have a point. But killing isn’t really my type of thing anyway. I actually specialize in healing and life magic.”

Nines blinked and started to pet Shelly again, “Life magic?”

“Yeah.” Gavin didn’t say anything else for a few minutes. They just ended up sitting in silence as they petted and interacted with the chickens.

Gavin finally broke the respite as he put Nugget back down on the ground and stood up, “Come on, Fish Man. We still have two more ladies to meet.”

“Two more?” Nines looked up and slowly stood up.

“Yup,” Gavin started walking towards the other end of the yard, “Frankie and Isabella.”

Nines nodded and followed behind. He had several questions but he figured he’d get his answers soon enough, but at least he was aware these were the creatures who had made the milk. All he needed was to be patient.

What he got was something he didn’t expect. “What the fuck are those?”

Gavin chuckled, “This pair of ladies are Frankie and Isabella. They’re goats.”

_ “Goats? _ Is that common for horned demons?”

Gavin let out a hearty laugh, “Who knows? But that sounds about right. They can sure have attitude problems.” He reached out and petted the closer of the two, “Isn’t that right, Frankie?”

Frankie the goat decided screaming was the correct response to Gavin’s question.

Nines flinched a little. "I really don't like that sound."

Gavin chuckled, "Yeah, it can be… abrasive. You'll get used to it, I promise."

"If you say so," the siren replied unconvinced.

Gavin snatched Nines' hand and showed him how to pet Frankie. She was nowhere near as soft as a chicken, but he could find some appeal. 

Gavin pulled back and went to Isabella. The other goat appeared much calmer as the witch gave her some love too.

Nines watched in wonder as Gavin’s face took on the soft look. His eyes softened and he had gotten this soft private smile. The siren got a feeling that it looked like Gavin would almost hear what the goats were saying. 

Frankie let out another loud scream and Gavin's eyes widened in horror and before Nines' could react the goat reared and headbutted the siren's knee.

Nines let out a yell as the injured let gave out and he collapsed to the ground in a teary heap.

Gavin scrambled to his side, "You okay, Fish Man?"

Nines blinked as his vision flashed a bit. "I've been murdered."

“Okay there is no reason to be so dramatic,” Gavin scoffed.

“I really don’t think I can move my leg now.”

Gavin frowned, “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”

“Neither can I.” Nines moved his leg a bit and groaned, “I don’t like the goats.”

Gavin blinked, “That’s fair,” he said through a burst of giggles.


	7. Molly has Something to Say

A week passed by in peace. The odd pair carving out a routine. Something that worked for both of them. But Gavin had one little hang-up about the situation, Nines sleeping in the bathtub wasn't ideal. For several reasons, honestly.

So, that's how Gavin ended up leaving a small breakfast on the table and was outside working before Nines had even woke up. He was going to build a small pool for his siren.

It was going to take about three days to get it to the point where it could hold water. Right now he was nailing together a frame.

"Gavin?" The smooth voice of Nines called out.

Gavin startled and turned a little too quickly to look at the siren. "Good morning, Fish Man."

"Morning. What are you working on?" 

The witch smiled, but crossed his arms, "It's a surprise."

Nines blinked and looked at the partially built frame. "That's disconcerting."

Gavin chuckled, "Don't worry about it, go take care of the chickens."

Nines let out a mildly inhuman sigh, one that Gavin has learned that is done from his gills and went into the house to grab a basket and some chicken food.

Gavin smiled to himself as he watched the progress out of the corner of his eyes. The girls and Benedict had really taken a liking to Nines. So much so that the witch was beginning to think that they all preferred it when Nines fed them. He hummed happily as he resumed work on the frame.

~

A little while later, Nines returned and looked worried, “I went ahead and took care of everything except the goats.”

Gavin looked up and pulled the nails out of his mouth, “That’s good. I already took care of Frankie and Izzy anyway. I know you guys don’t get along.”

Nines let out a relieved sigh, “Thank Poseidon. I do not trust the slanty-eyed demons.”

“I keep telling you they’re not demons. Though I’m not sure how much scarier actual demons are. Not had the pleasure of meeting one.”

The siren crossed his arms and pouted, bottom lip out and everything. “They’re close enough for me.”

Gavin laughed. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re cute?”

Nines flushed. “No,” he whispered.

“Huh,” Gavin blinked, “Well, I guess I’ll be the first. You’re cute.”

Nines blushed even darker and looked up and away. “Thank you," he whispered.

“You’re welcome,” Gavin beamed. He turned to the small pool he was working and suddenly knew he was doing the right thing. He knew that Nines was going to leave eventually, but he was here for now and that was enough for him. Plus, he’d still have the pool. It was a win, win any way you looked at it.

The siren mumbled something, that Gavin couldn’t quite hear. But he was almost certain it was something along the lines of ‘you’re cute too.’ And w ith that, Gavin put down his tools and stretched. “So,  _ cutie,” _ he teased, “Ready for something to eat?”

Nines nodded, still blushing. “Let me help cook this time.”

“Come on then. I have an idea of what we can make together.”

Nines smiled widely, his fangs shining, “I can’t wait.” Then they were heading into the kitchen.

~

Gavin had underestimated how long it was going to take to build the small pool. So on the third day, he had decided to use magic to finish it.

He waited until Nines went to bed before he made to sneak outside to finish it up by morning, to make for a grand surprise.

**“Murrph!”** Molly complained and the witch got the message loud and clear.  _ ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ _

Gavin froze and turned to look at his familiar and shrugged. “I need to finish that pool,” he whispered, careful to not wake up the snoozing siren.   
  
Molly sat down and meowed at him,  _ ‘Magic?’ _

Gavin sighed, “Yes, Molly. I plan on using magic.”

Molly looked bored sending over an indignant,  _ ‘That’s a bad idea.’ _

He huffed, “I need a good magical workout, Mo. Leave me be.”

She sneezed,  _ ‘You’re only doing this because you’re trying to court him.’ _

Gavin turned red, “Sometimes I hate that we have a mental link. So, what if I like him? He still deserves to be comfortable while he’s here, which is to say not sleeping in a tub.”

Molly gave him a flat look,  _ ‘Just don’t overdo it.’  _ Then she wandered away.

Gavin let out a breath and continued out the door. All he had to do was get the materials together and then get his magic flowing. He let out a breath as he walked up to the mostly finished pool. Molly’s concerns weren’t misplaced, he hadn’t done something like this in a long time. It was going to be tiring, but he knew he could do it. He hadn't been training in magic for decades to not be able to put a few boards and stones together.

He raised his hands up and took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt the magic pulling into his body at a force. He'd never actually needed to verbalize his spells, he just did it to show off a bit for Nines. Well, minus the spells used  _ on _ Nines, those did require an utterance of a true name. Ah, technicalities and nuances.

Gavin gasped lightly and sighed in contentment. He loved how this felt. He held the magic in for a few more moments, letting his wants be known, and then sent it away to help him. 

He let out a soft noise as the magic felt him quickly and swirled around the pool. There was a flash and a few sparkles and a whirlwind as the pool was quickly put together. Then all at once, the magic deemed it’s task completed and dissipated.

Gavin dropped to his knees as the magic fled the area, he panted at the keen loss. He felt both extremely powerful and extremely drained at the same time. He wondered why he kept his magic uses to such a minimum as he did. Though when he tried to stand up and his entire being ached he acutely remembered.

“Fuck,” he groaned, “Yup, this sucks. Wow, I’m out of practice.”

_ ‘I told you so,’ _ Molly mused as she jumped up on the pool’s edge to investigate.  _ ‘Nice work.’ _

Gavin grinned as he pulled himself to his feet, “Thanks.” He walked over and went to inspect his handiwork. “Yeah, this looks just like I wanted it to.” and it really did. Now, he just needed to fill it up, but he wanted to ask Nines if he would prefer fresh or saltwater. That would be a task for the morning.

“Come on, Molly. It’s time for me to pass the fuck out,” Gavin waved as he started back towards the house. He’d show off the pool in the morning after he got some good sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck yeah, Molly can talk to Gavin. And of course, she's judging him.


	8. A Piece of the Ocean

Gavin slept well that night. Too well frankly, he noted quickly as he woke up to a sunbeam directly on his face.  He shot up in bed realizing quickly that he overslept. He really hoped that Nines’ surprise wasn’t ruined.

He scrambled out of bed and started throwing on whatever probably clean clothes he could find. Then once he was decent he forced himself to enter the kitchen calmly. Then to his surprise, Nines was still in the house and was simply poking around the kitchen cooking.

“Nines?” Gavin asked, as he walked up and leaned against the counter next to where the siren was working. “What're you cooking?”

Nines looked over and his eyes sparkled like the sun reflecting on the ocean, “Good morning, Gavin!” He looked down shyly at the bowl of raw eggs and veggies, “I’m trying to make some scrambled eggs. I wasn’t sure what else I could make by myself. And I wanted it to be a surprise. Since you cook for me so often."

Gavin couldn’t help but grin, and his heart did something fluttery in his chest, “That’s so sweet of you.”

Nines beamed. His sharp teeth sparkling along with his eyes, his ear fins wiggling. The whole display was unbelievably cute. “So? Are you surprised?”

“Yeah, I’m surprised,” Gavin grinned up shyly, amazed by how wonderful Nines was. 

Though he wondered how well his surprise would land compared to this sweet gesture. “Want any help or would you like to finish on your own?”

Nines chewed his lip for a moment, “I would like to finish by myself. If that is okay?”

“Perfectly,” Gavin confirmed as his eyes were drawn to where Nines was working his lip. “How about I do some of the morning chores while you finish up?”

Nines smiled again, letting go of his lip, “That sounds perfect.”

Gavin grinned and started towards the back door, slipping into his work boots. “Hey, Nines?”

Nines only hummed in response as he turned to poke at the stove.

“If you had to pick which one you prefer, would it be saltwater or freshwater?” He asked like he only casually wanted the answer. He couldn't quite draw the conclusion based on the one conversation they had earlier on the matter.

Nines blinked as he thought about the answer, “I like freshwater, but I do find myself missing the way the sea feels. Freshwater is nice, but the ocean feels like home.”

Gavin took a second to process that, but it looked like he had his answer for what type of water he was putting in the pool. “Cool, thanks! Be back soon!”

~

Gavin didn’t take too long taking care of the early morning chores. He may have cheated a tiny bit with magic even though he knew he absolutely should not have after the overexertion last night. He heard Molly’s disapproval through their mental link. He shrugged it off with a promise to take a break once this was all done. 

And once he had his baskets and bottles collected he put them down next to the back door and wandered over to the newly finished, but still empty pool. He just needed to summon some ocean water to fill it up. Sure he could find a non-magical way to get it, but he really didn’t have the time because of his self-imposed schedule.

He popped his knuckles and started drawing the magic into himself and put the image of the ocean and the seawater into his brain. It was an odd process transferring something from somewhere over such a distance away, but he did manage it. The telltale sounds of water splashing filling his ears as the magic swirled and crackled around him. It felt refreshing like he was taking a swim on a swelteringly hot day. 

Then as he watched the tub fill he felt as if he had been swimming against the current and slowly let the magic leave him as the water in the tub approached the top. He was left drained and pleasantly sore, it was a heady sensation when combined with the sense of accomplishment that hummed under his skin.

He liked building and crafting things, and using magic like this was something he'd forgotten he'd been missing. He walked over and ran a hand over the smooth wood and stone, this would be perfect and Nines would fit in it quite well.

Gavin pulled back not wanting to waste any more time and risk Nines coming out to the backyard looking for him.

He wandered over and picked up his baskets and bottles and headed inside. 

Nines perked up as he was setting the table. It wasn't correct in any sense of the word but the food was on the plates and drinks in cups, so Gavin counted it as a win.

"Hey, Fish Man," Gavin smirked happily as he put his goods down on the counter to be dealt with later. "Everything smells and looks delicious."

Nines flushed and his ear fins wiggled, "that's good to hear, I'm still very new at this skill after all."

"You've got to start somewhere," Gavin shrugged as he walked over and took his seat at the table. He looked at Nines who was fidgeting to his side and not sitting. He raised an eyebrow, "Sit down, not eating before you or some weird shit like that."

Nines' blush darkened and he moved to sit down, "sorry, I was just excited to see what you thought of the food."

Gavin smiled and chuckled, "you can do that from a sitting position."

"Fair." Nines was now glancing between his own food and Gavin, waiting.

Gavin rolled his eyes and in an incredibly fond gesture as he picked up his fork and started shovelling the eggs into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully. Not bad overall, pretty damn good considering it was the first time Nines had cooked alone. "It's tasty!"

Then the smile he got in return was quite blinding. Gavin felt like he was looking at the sun with that happy pointy-toothed grin being aimed in his direction. "I'm so glad you like it! I was so worried I wouldn't get it right since this is so complicated, but you do and I am happy about it."

Gavin chuckled, "Listen, I'm super proud of you. You didn't catch anything on fire and it tastes pretty good. You're really getting the hang of this being a human thing."

"All good news," Nines said and chirped happily.

Gavin gestured towards Nines' own plate, "Now you get to try what you made and tell me what you think."

"Okay," Nines said his smile going down a tiny bit as he also started shovelling eggs into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, "not nearly as good as yours but still tasty." He confirmed.

"And that's something to be proud of."

Nines blinding smile returned. "Thank you."

Gavin felt himself blush a bit more, staring at something so lovely for so long was a lot. "No, thank you. And let's finish eating, I have plans for today."

"Okay!"

~

The rest of breakfast was spent with small talk, jokes, and giggling. Nines didn't know things like eating could be happy. He could really get used to spending every day with Gavin and living on this farm. He really was starting to love it here. 

Then when their plates were empty, Nines felt himself twitching with excitement, Gavin had promised him and surprise and so far he had loved every single one. What could the witch possibly have in store for him next? He had no idea, besides the strange structure in the side yard. 

So he gathered up the plates and put them into the little kitchen tub, but he couldn't focus enough to wash them. He turned back to Gavin and clasped his hands behind his back. "What do you have planned for me this time?" Nines said with an eager lilt.

Gavin chuckled, but his own eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Well, you'll find out if you follow me." He waved his arm in a universal 'come along' gesture and then he was walking out the back door.

Nines scrambled to follow and caught up quickly. "I'm following," he said with light jest.

"Oh, you goose. I like your silly sense of humour," Gavin chuckled.

"I'm glad," Nines smiled in reply and walked behind Gavin and followed him into the side yard.

Then Gavin stopped and turned around suddenly. "Close your eyes, I want this to be a proper surprise. I'll guide you."

"I'm not sure my land legs are good enough for that," Nines said, uncertain, "I wouldn't want to fall."

"Please?" Gavin gave the siren bright and big puppy eyes.

Nines let out a half-hearted whine, "you better catch me if I trip."

"Absolutely, I couldn't imagine letting you fall," Gavin said, stupidly sincere. Then he offered a hand, "Come on. It's waiting for you."

Nines felt his face heat and he blinked as he slowly took Gavin's offered hand. "I trust you," he said just as earnestly. Then he let his eyes slip closed, completely missing Gavin's own blush and brilliant smile.

Gavin didn't respond, but he did gently start leading Nines towards the surprise. It was a bit of an awkward process, there was no falling or broken promises, just a few awkward stumbles and Gavin's strong arms.

"Come on just a few more steps this way," Gavin cooed.

Nines took those steps, but he felt his nose flare as he took in an achingly familiar smell. "It smells like the ocean here."

Gavin giggled nervously. "That's good." There was a pause as Gavin took his hand away. 

Nines felt it's loss keenly. "Can I open my eyes now?"

There were a few seconds of silence, then Gavin found his words again. "Y-Yeah, you can."

Nines slowly let his eyes open and his eyes instantly fell on to the sun sparkling on the surface of the water. Seawater, he could tell by the smell. He felt his entire face light up with a deep blush. "It… it looks like you captured a piece of the ocean for me."

Gavin looked towards the piece of the sea, "yeah… that's one way of putting it. I made you a pool. Somewhere you can swim some and sleep fully stretched out… I bet sleeping in the tub is getting old." He started scratching the back of his neck.

"You captured a bit of the ocean… _for me?"_ Nines repeated, still very much in awe.

"Yeah, I did," Gavin looked back up at him. His seafoam green eyes, nervous and genuine.

"I don't have the words in common to describe how happy this makes me." Nines didn't know what to do, so reached forward and pulled Gavin into a tight hug. "Thank you."

Gavin grumbled something or another, but he did nuzzle his face into Nines' collar. "You're welcome." 

Then after a few moments Nines pulled back, far too eager to swim in the pool Gavin had made him. He was moving toward it and took a big sniff and his ear fins wiggled happily. 

He looked over his shoulder and smiled one more toothy smile before he turned back to the pool and started stripping his clothes as fast as he could manage.

He barely heard Gavin's surprised squawk before he was jumping in and starting the process of turning his legs back into his black and white tail fin. 

Once he was fully transformed, he went up to break the water with a happy chatter. His gills were flaring happily as they channelled the salty water and he felt unbelievably comfortable.

Gavin took a few steps towards the edge himself. "You like it, I'm taking."

Nines beamed and threw his arms up, _"I love it!"_ He swam a happy circle. "I'm so impressed. You really are the most amazing person I have ever met!"

Gavin sputtered and his face turned a darker red still. "Well, you've not met a lot of people, Fish Man."

Nines clicked his tongue, annoyed. "Nonsense. You really are a gift."

Gavin just crossed his arms at that and leaned against the outside of the pool. He was quite flustered, and clearly pouting because of it.

Nines grinned and a cheeky idea hit him. Gavin should join him. He swam slowly towards the edge of the pool and with a mischievous smirk he struck and wrapped his strong arms around Gavin's middle and pulled him into the pool.

_"What the_ _phck!?"_ Gavin screamed and hollered and sputtered as he was submerged, but he was in absolutely no danger of drowning, Nines was making sure of that. 

Nines was laughing as Gavin looked like a drowned rat pouting in the pool. "You should enjoy the fruits of your labour as well."

"Willingly would have been preferable, you brat," Gavin teased, even though Nines could the beginnings of a smile in the corners of his scowl.

"But you're here now, huh?" Nines teased as he swam a circle around the witch.

Gavin sighed and that pesky smile broke through, "yeah, I guess I am."

"Might as well enjoy it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."


	9. Fishing for You

There was a happy routine the two unlikely housemates fell into. Breakfast together, chores, a small lunch, Nines’ midday nap, dinner, and then some time together, nighttime chores, then bed.

Nines at first felt the routine would get mundane, but he found he loved it. Sure, sometimes he felt it was too similar to his old life, but he had a choice here. Gavin would never force him to help with things, it was just nice. 

Gavin was nice. Gavin was lovely. Nines  _ really  _ liked Gavin. He almost couldn’t believe that they met on the shore where Nines had tried to kill him. Now, it felt like they had known each other for a lifetime, no matter how short that time was in reality.

But today was a day that the restlessness finally started to settle under Nines' skin and made him itchy. 

So, while they were putting away the products of the morning’s chores Nines spoke up, “Gavin?”

Gavin made a noncommittal noise as he focused on the task at hand. Washing the dirt off veggies he was probably going to use for lunch. He was doing it the old fashioned way, despite having the magic to do it for him. He just rarely used his magic for these kinds of things. He said that it was because magic wasn’t something to be wasted on something as simple as making cheese or washing carrots. Though Nines didn't quite think that was the true reason.

“Do you like fish?” Nines asked his lead up question.

_ “What?” _ Gavin’s face flushed as he looked up Nines. Then he shook it, “Oh. Yeah, I like fish. I’m a  _ terrible _ fisherman though.”

“Well, good for you,” Nines smiled and showed Gavin his unsheathed claws, “I am a fantastic fisherman.”

“I would guess,” Gavin nodded dumbly, clearly not getting the implications.

“I was thinking we could take a trip to the beach and I could catch us some fish for dinner today.” Nines dived straight into his plan. He wanted some fish to eat, but he also wanted a good swim. Among other unimportant reasons. All in all, it had been well over two moons since he had last been in the ocean. Well, beyond his little piece of the ocean, but he couldn't  _ really _ swim there.

Gavin shrugged, “I don’t see why not. Well, let me just get a few things and then we can go.”

Gavin finished his tasks with Nines’ help. About half an hour later they were walking down to the beach together, a blanket and a basket in tow. Both of them were equally excited.

~

It was a lovely walk, something that Nines could not have made on his legs just a few weeks ago. He was getting very good at being in his human form, but as he saw the ocean, he felt his gills flutter a bit and his teeth lost the last of their human-like dullness. 

He looked at Gavin and smiled widely. “I can’t wait to go swimming,” He gushed to his witch.

Gavin smiled back, that blush on his scarred nose again. “I’m excited for fish.”

Nies placed his hand on Gavin’s bicep and smiled even wider. "I’m going to catch you the best fish I can possibly find," He assured earnestly because Gavin deserved the best after all.

Gavin looked at the hand and then to Nines face and this time his grin was very warm, “I should phcking hope so, Fish Man.”

Nines laughed and pulled his hand away and ran a few steps ahead, “Come on, Magic Man. I want to get there already.”

Gavin rolled his eyes but sped up nonetheless. 

They arrived at the beach just after high-noon. Nines chirped as he took a big sniff of the salty air.

Gavin smiled as he moved to set up his little blanket.

Nines started to undress quickly and then leapt into the ocean before Gavin could even react. And it wasn't like he hadn't done this several times already. 

He swam around gills sucking in the salty water and his tail working overtime to stretch out. Then he jumped out of the water, putting on a show of his tail and fins to Gavin. When he swam closer to shore with a pointy-toothed smile, he took in Gavin.

Gavin had stripped down into his swimming underwear and a loose t-shirt. He was sitting on his blanket, mouth hanging open. Then he snapped it closed and gave an awkward thumbs up, “Impressive.”

“Thank you,” Nines preened, “I’m going to go catch some fish now.”

“Good luck, Fish Man.”

That was the last thing Nines heard before bolting towards the deeper water. He knew these waters well and that meant he knew where to find the best fish and shellfish. He slowed his speed as an idea hit him. He wondered if his shoulder bag was where he left it last. 

After a slight detour, Nines found the bag and hummed as he slid it on. He kind of missed this, but not nearly as much as he felt like he should have. He liked life on land, he was learning to love it. Learning to love…

_ “Nines?!” _ A desperate and familiar voice called out.

Nines barely had time to react before a weight slammed into his side and he was wrapped in a tight hug. “Connor.”

_ “Oh, fuck,” _ His twin muttered, “I thought you were  _ dead!” _

Nines returned the hug and suddenly was extremely happy to see his twin. “Oh! I'm glad to see you!” Their tails twisted together in a familial embrace.

“Me too,” Connor moved his arms to Nines’ shoulders and pushed out of the hug, but their tails stayed entwined. “Where have you been? I thought I’d lost you forever.”

“I, uh,” Nines felt a bit of guilt wash over him, as he searched for the right words, “I’ve been living on land.”

Connor’s eyes widened, “You’ve been doing  _ what?” _

“I live in a cottage on the beach now,” Nines said again, “I love it there.”

Connor frowned and pulled out of the embrace completely. His inner eyelid fluttering, “You didn’t think to come back and tell me that?”

Nines felt even more guilty because he hadn’t. He’d been so caught up in seafoam green eyes, and too tired from his life on the shore. He didn’t say anything as he looked away. Guilt colouring his cheeks.

“I understand.” Connor shook his head. “So, you’re doing okay up there?”

Nines nodded, “More than good. I’m actually happy. You should leave this place and find a home on the shore too.”

Connor smiled and looked back to where the nest is, “I’ve met someone actually.”

Nines gaped, “You did?”

“Yeah, he’s from another pod and we’ve been seeing each other for a bit now,” Connor explained

Nines hummed, looked like they were both breaking a few rules. “I’m happy for you.” Nines looked towards the shore, he still had fish to catch. “Connor, I promise to come to visit again. But I’m out trying to find food, and staying here for much longer is dangerous.”

Connor nodded, “Yeah, you’re right.” he hugged Nines hard, “Be safe.” Then he pulled away.

“I will,” Nines looked away again, “You do that too.” 

Then they parted ways. Nines towards where he knew he could hunt and Connor towards the nest.

~

Nines hadn’t been lying when he said he was a fantastic fisherman but seeing Gavin’s eyes light up when he displayed his catch made his heart sing.

Gavin took the bag of shellfish, and a small squid, and pulled them close to his chest, “These are fantastic. Holy shit,” his smile lit up his whole face. Then he pointed at the fish string, “And don’t even get me started on those fish. I’m so excited!” He touched the mackerel, “I can’t believe you managed to catch a flounder, a mackerel, and  _ two _ herrings. I’m going to have so much fun cooking these guys.” His smile was infectious.

Nines was preening as he knew that Gavin had accepted his gifts. “I’m so glad you like them. Shall we head back to the cabin? We need to beat the sun.”

“Let’s go then,” Gavin nodded as he slid the bag over his shoulders and picked up his blanket and basket, “I’m  _ so _ ready for some fish!”

Nines let a private smile grace his lips as he followed slowly behind the glowing and happy human.

The walk back to the cabin was filled with their chatter about the fish and idle nonsense. Nines talked about the fish and where he had to catch them and facts about their lives in the ocean. 

Gavin talked about the best ways to clean fish and the best ways to cook them, which he promised to demonstrate when they got to the cabin.

Walking into the cabin after a long day gone got them screamed at by Molly. The cat was clearly upset about being left and that there were fish that Nines was not letting her have. “Molly, dear, these are not for you,” He told the cat softly. Nines had other plans for the small feline, a well-laid plan to placate her. “Gavin, come here for a moment.”

Gavin was using his magic to get the sand out of the blanket just outside the back door. “Give me a sec.” After he was satisfied that all the sand was removed, he folded the blanket and came into the house, “What’s up?”

Nines smiled and rolled his eyes, of all the things to use his magic for.    
  
He walked up to Gavin and slipped his hand into the bag of shellfish and pulled out a small fish string of sardines, a catch specifically for Molly. He hummed as he offered one to the cat, “Here you go, Molly.  _ These _ are for you.”

Gavin made a small noise from behind him, “You caught fish just for Molly?”

Nines stood up after Molly had deemed the gift acceptable, “Of course, I figured that she would like them, given her taste for biting me.”

Gavin laughed and snorted once placed his hand over his mouth. “Oh my god,” he whispered.

Nines smiled and stood up and deposited the small fish back into the shoulder bag. “But I do believe we have come to an agreement.”

Gavin looked at Molly and then blushed a bit, “Yeah, she likes you.”

Nines beamed, “I’m very much glad to hear that.”

Gavin looked up at Nines and blinked slowly. Their gazes stayed locked until Gavin broke it with a cough, “Come on, Fish Man. We’ve got fish to clean,” He said, his voice a bit softer than the moment before.

“We do,” Nines lowered his own voice, “I do believe you promised to show me how you clean them.”

Gavin let out a bark of laughter, “That I phcking did.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Molly approves.


	10. Something Sickly Sweet

Nines let out a satisfied sigh as he leaned back into the chair. “That was just as amazing as you promised it would be.”

Gavin gasped dramatically, “What? You doubted me? How dare?” He couldn’t resist the urge to poke fun at Nines, their banter was something he absolutely adored.

Nines snickered, “Maybe, but my expectations were high given my experience with fish.”

Gavin stood, picked up the dirty dishes and dropped them into the sink dramatically, “I am now officially the best fish chef in the world, the Fish Man  _ himself _ approves.” 

Nines laughed as he stood up and moved towards the sink to help with the dishes. “Heaven forbid I make your ego any larger,” he spoke as he walked, the words were said close to Gavin's right ear.

Gavin’s laugh stuck in his throat, as he turned beet red again. “Yeah, that would be a shame,” He said lamely as he swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. When had he gained so many feelings for the siren who had literally thrown himself into his life? Gavin couldn’t answer, but he couldn’t see the future without his house guest. Maybe he should do something about the racing of his heart.

“Gavin?” Nines asked suddenly.

Gavin jumped a bit, pulled out of his train of thought. “Oh,  _ uh. _ Sorry, I just noticed how tired I am.”

Nines face fell a bit, “Ah, yes. It is getting kind of late, isn’t it?”

“Yeah...”

Nines smiled and took a step to close the distance between them. His face was a blueish red and he couldn’t quite meet Gavin’s eyes, “Can I join you tonight?

Gavin blinked as he looked at Nines' face. He couldn’t have heard that correctly, could he have? “In my bed?”

The siren nodded slowly, face flushing further.

Gavin swallowed again, his face impossibly warm. “Don’t you need to like... sleep in water?”

Nines shrugged, the motion small. “Not necessarily. My magic is not exhausted because of the time I spent in the ocean today.” His gills fluttered a tiny bit, “I could join you if you would like me to. Or not, that's fine too.”

“Yeah, I don’t see why not,” Gavin said quickly, his voice barely above a whisper. He couldn't resist, nor deny that he wanted something a little bit more with Nines. He just couldn't have imagined the siren could have wanted the same. But here was all the evidence he could possibly need.

Gavin felt himself getting lost in Nines’ eyes, the pull was impossible to ignore. He felt himself leaning up, going a bit on his toes, his eyes slipping shut. He hoped Nines understood the invitation. He only knew so much about sirens despite everything.

The soft press of lips on his own was all the answer he needed. Their first kiss was sweet and they parted slowly. His eyes opened to see Nines’ eyes blown wide, his lips parted, and his teeth were slightly pointier than they were a moment before. Even his gills had flared slightly. He looked completely blown away and enraptured.

Gavin grinned. He loved that look on Nines.  


Nines swallowed, his throat and gills moving with the motion. “Can we do that again?”

Gavin stood on his tiptoes and placed another peck as an answer, “Of course.” He didn't want to ever stop.

The siren let out a pitched whine and dove in for a deeper kiss. His arms slid around his waist and Gavin was pulled flush against him. Kissing him as if his whole life depended on it.

Gavin felt overwhelmed in all the best ways. Of course, he’d heard the stories about sirens being passionate lovers, but so many sailors’ tales had been disproved by Nines, so this one being true was a pleasant surprise. He kissed back as if _his_ own life depended on it, never wanting Nines to pull away.

Nines ran his hands down Gavin’s sides, slid a leg between his and wrapped him up so completely in his embrace. They fit together like puzzle pieces and completely lost themselves to the moment and the kiss only broke when Gavin had to breathe. He pulled away gasping and his eyes were hazy as he smiled up at his siren.

Nines opened his eyes slowly, the inner eyelids lagging a second behind his top ones. His gills were open, cheating at not having to breathe through his mouth. No wonder he didn't sound or look as winded as Gavin. He could have called dit cheating, but he didn't have the words.  The witch found it endearing and smiled dopily, he had never felt so treasured in his life. He buried his head into Nines’ chest to hide. “I’ve been wanting to do that forever.”

Nines shifted, gripping the fabric of Gavin’s shirt, “Me too.”

They stayed like that for several moments. Just holding each other tightly, afraid to be the one to let go or to be the one to move first. This time it was Nines who broke the silence, “Is the offer to join you in bed still open?” His voice was low, his tone warm.

Gavin nodded, his face heating. “Yeah, it is.” Maybe the question meant something different now, but he didn't care either way.

Nines hummed and untangled himself from Gavin long enough to pick up the smaller man into a bridal carry.

Gavin gasped and wrapped his arms around Nines' neck quickly. He was amazed at how strong the siren was now when just a few months ago he could barely stay upright on his feet. Not that he was complaining, he was more than happy to be carried to his bed. It was a treat really. Nines really was amazing.

Nines walked right up to the bed, climbed up to lay Gavin down and promptly laid on top of the human. The embrace was intimate and tight, even more so than before because of being in bed together. 

Gavin couldn't help but gasp as he wrapped around Nines just as tightly. He didn't quite understand why nines wanted to hold him so tightly, but maybe it was to make up for not having his tailfin to curl around Gavin. 

They stayed like that for another few moments, until Gavin wiggled a bit. He wanted something to happen before his legs fell asleep. He loved this, he just wanted to be able to kiss nines again... and again. "Nines," Gavin whispered into the quiet night air.

Nines didn't answer with words as he started rubbing gentle patterns into Gavin's sides. Then he started humming softly as he nuzzled into the crook of Gavin's neck. 

It was something incredibly beautiful and it caused a sweet smile to fall upon Gavin's lips. He could listen to that lovely humming forever. God, he was so fucking lucky it was unreal.

Then Nines' humming turned into a soft song.

Gavin couldn't understand the words, it must have been Nines' native tongue, but Gavin could feel the sheer love in those words washing over him. It almost brought tears to his eyes. He never thought he could have so much love directed at him. He wrapped his arms around Nines tighter in response, trying to convey everything he was feeling back to the siren.

Then Gavin felt his vision fog over a bit and he shook his head, his ears feeling like they were filling with water. He was sure he was safe and he still in bed with Nines. Bed with Nines. _What a concept._

Gavin couldn't control how he was reacting as he felt a deep-seated lust start crawling through his veins. _ “Nines?” _ He moaned out, unsure of the sticky sweet feeling filling him, but it felt wonderful. He wiggled a bit as he wondered why they weren't doing anything. He wanted them to do something. He_ needed_ it. “You sound lovely. Are you gonna kiss me some more?  _ Please,” _ the words tumbled out, thick and uncoordinated. He wasn't really sure how he could think with these feeling coating every inch of his body and mind. He _wanted._

Then Nines made a choked noise and the beautiful singing stopped abruptly. The next thing the witch knew, Nines was swiftly pulling away from him. It caused a blinding panic to slam into him. "Wait, no!" He gasped as his emotions turned scared and filled him with rejection. Why was Nines leaving? Why was his siren going away? Had he disappointed him? 

"Did I do something wrong?" Gavin said, his voice rough. He  whined as he tried to reach out and catch ahold of Nines. “Nines ?” The now empty space where his siren had been was so hollow it hurt.  _ “Nines?” _ He gasped out softer, the bitter taste of rejection burning even harsher at the back of his throat.

_ “Oh, fuck.” _ Nines shook his head and scrambled backwards, “Oh god, I’m so sorry.” He fell off the edge of the bed and before Gavin could react any further he was gone. A messy mantra of apologies Gavin couldn't quite understand following him all the way.

Gavin cried out, but his limbs felt so heavy he couldn’t move easily. It was like he was swimming through sorghum. He wasn’t sure what he had done to scare Nines away, but at that moment he hurt  _ so fucking bad. _ He felt tears start to run down his face. He wasn't even sure when he had started crying.

Gavin couldn't follow and he cried out Nines' name several times as he tried to do something about how horrible and abandoned he felt.

He cried for several moments. Simply overwhelmed, but eventually the rushing in his ears and the sticky feeling slowly faded. 

He blinked and as if a blanket was pulled off of him, he became aware of the world again. His first thought was why was he in his bed? And why was he feeling so fucking lonely?

He got up and shook himself a bit and rubbed his eyes. He felt waterlogged and he couldn't seem to remember  _ why. _ His face was wet and his felt puffy.  _ Why the fuck had he been crying?  _ Then after some hard thought he remembered something had happened with Nines. They had kissed. They had gone to bed together... The rest was still a bit foggy. What had happened? Where was Nines now?

_“Oh, phck!”_ Gavin clambered towards the bathroom, and just as expected, the room was empty.  _ “Phck, phck, phck,” _ he spat out as he pulled at his hair. He couldn’t believe this. He was sure things were going fine, and then things went crazy like that. Was this the end of having Nines around? He left the bathroom and before he could continue to search for the siren he felt funny. The world grew soft around him and his eyelids got heavy. He remembered beginning to fall but not hitting the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, it couldn't all be sunshine and rainbows, this is me we are talking about. But like... please don't hurt me.


	11. Split Milk

Gavin woke up in his bed that morning and he was confused as _fuck._ He had no idea how he ended up in bed or even when for that matter. He sat up and groaned. He rubbed at his face trying to rub out the unusual sleepiness that still lingered in them. He sighed as he pulled his hands away from his face, then he swung his feet over the edge of the bed. He looked at his still socked feet and gave his last night some good thought and the last thing he _could_ remember was finishing dinner. After that?_ Nothing. _

He shook his head as he finally stood up. He didn't have time to ponder about a few missing hours, he had a day to start. He changed clothes quickly and then walked out of his room and froze. 

Nines was in the process of cleaning the shellfish and had several things laid on the counter. It appeared that he was cooking, which was always a pleasant surprise.

Gavin grinned, "Good morning, Nines. What are you making?"

Nines didn't look up from the shell he was fitting a claw in, "Just a traditional Siren food. Salted oysters."

"Oh, awesome." Gavin had always been interested in learning about the life Nines had before the point he came to shore but the siren didn't talk much about it. "So, did you guys do a lot of cooking down there?" 

Nines used his claws to break another shell open. "Not cooking per se. But we have a variety of ways to prepare our food," a soft laugh, "Most of them are used to get picky guppies to eat."

Gavin blinked. That was the first time Nines had spoken of the kids he took care of in an even vaguely positive light. "Picky guppies?"

Nines smiled, but it looked a tiny bit rueful. "Oh yeah, sometimes they would get sick of eating the same things. Bratty things, but they were kids. What could you do?"

Gavin didn't know what had Nines in such a sharing mood, "I only took care of kids when they were sick and back when I still did most of my witching in healing."

The shell Nines was holding shattered violently. "Fuck," he swore.

Gavin stated at the mess and back to Nines, "You okay?"

Nines blinked rapidly, "I forgot myself." 

That didn't comfort Gavin in the slightest, but if Nines wasn't sharing, he wasn't pressing it. "Eh, no harm no foul. I think you have enough shucked for breakfast anyway."

Nines huffed, "I think you're right. Just let me finish up."

Gavin swallowed and turned to go sit down. Nines was acting cold and distant all of a sudden and Gavin didn't know what to make of it. Had he done something wrong? He sat and watched Nines work in silence, something else that raised concern in the witch. Nines was never like this.

A few quiet minutes later a plate of yummy looking oysters were placed in front of Gavin. He was thankful for the food and the distraction from his turbulent thoughts. He hummed in appreciation and slurped one up. Gavin was pleasantly surprised to find that they were beyond tasty. Easily the best oysters he'd ever eaten. He immediately grabbed another and ate it happily. "These are amazing! Holy shit, Nines."

Nines' ears turned a bit red, "Thank you. I'm glad you like them."

Gavin ate another one and then spoke, "I love 'em."

Nines' little pleased smile was adorable as he hid it behind another oyster. Thet spent the rest of breakfast eating mostly silently, but Gavin was still pretty damn happy.

~

After the pair finished eating they cleaned up and went to their respective chores. Just like every other day.

Gavin finished with the goats and put the bottles of milk in his basket and met up with Nines out by the garden. 

"Hey, Fish Man. Find anything interesting?

Nines raised his basket, "No more than usual, just eggs."

Gavin hummed, "If I remember correctly, nothing in the garden should be ready today. Wanna help me with some prep today? I need to take a trip to town soon."

Nines' eyes widened, "Town?" 

Gavin nodded, "Yeah, to sell some of my extra stuff and buy some more bottles and shit like that. You okay with coming with me?"

Nines swallowed, "I've never been around so many humans. Are you sure this is a good idea?" He looked out towards the ocean. "I'm dangerous," he whispered.

Gavin was taken aback, "You? Dangerous? Your teeth are literally just for show."

Nines hissed with his pointy teeth, "I'm a _ Siren _, Gavin. I can turn anyone into a fucking puppet and then happily rip their fucking throat out!" He growled, baring his teeth, "No one is safe around me."

Gavin let out an awkward chuckle, trying to break the tension, "What the hell, Nines?" This was concerningly out of character.

Nines acted like he hadn't heard Gavin. He shook his head and his eyes were misty. _ "You're _ not safe with me."

Gavin frowned. _ Where the fuck had this come from? _ “Nines, you know I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. I’ve proved that to you already. Plus, you wouldn't hurt me.”

“You don’t remember,” Nines drew out seeming to still be ignoring Gavin. Distress was edging into his features and his speech, _ “ _ Holy shit. You _actually_ don’t remember. _Fuck.”_

Gavin was a good bit worried by this point, “What in the ever-living fuck are you talking about?” He shook his head letting out a small nervous chuckle. “You’re freaking me out a little bit.” 

“It’s worse than I thought.” Nines’ hands went to his hair, pulling at the curls. He looked up after a few moments, his blue eyes pleading and hurt. “What’s the last thing you remember from yesterday?”

“I don’t know? Dinner?” Gavin was starting to have suspicions that the reason he had those gaps in his memory had been Nines’ fault. “Why?”

Nines blinked rapidly and looked down at the ground. “We kissed, Gav,” the words were barely whispered.

Gavin gaped. Why the fuck would he forget that off all things, he'd been daydreaming of doing that very thing for forever now. "What now?"

Nines looked everywhere but at Gavin. His hands wringing nervously around the handle of the basket. "After dinner, we kissed and, _ uh, _ you can't remember because of my powers as a Siren. I used them on you." His eyes fell to his feet and his human form was wavering and parts of the siren were leaking through, even though Gavin could tell he was trying to ide them. His spiked fins replacing his round human ears, and his shameful blush turned a bit blue. "I made you forget."

Gavin took a step back. This was a lot to process. Part of him didn't even believe Nines, they'd never talked about the possibility of there being mutual feelings. He knew he was falling hard for the siren. But the other way around? That seemed impossible.

"Why would you have me forget something like that?" His tone was small, and it cracked around the sudden wave of betrayal.

Nines shook his head and his eyes not moving from the ground. "I sang to you."

Gavin's mouth fell open, he let out a few strangled clicking noises before he could find his voice. "You did _ what?" _His words came out as broken as he was feeling.

"It was an accident." Nines' hand went to his throat in what looked like panic, his gills faring behind his clawed fingers. "I got so lost in the moment. Sirens sing to each other when they're courting. We're immune to its effects of mind control, but you aren't."

Gav blushed despite everything. "You're trying to court me?"

Nines blinked and frowned, "Yes, but that's not the point!"

"How is that not the point?" Gavin took a step forward, a smile graced his lips. Maybe the memories being wiped was a part of the singings effects. Though he could still remember the first day they met on the beach quite well. "You care that much about me?"

Nines' face turned a bright reddish blue and he huffed, "Gavin, it's _dangerous._ You're not a siren and that means you're not immune to my magic! You can't..."

Gavin had heard enough, ** _"Nines, silentium!"_ **

Nines made the choked noise that came with this spell. He looked at Gavin with the expression of a kicked puppy. His blue eyes swimming with unshed tears. Gavin hated seeing him like this.

"Look at that." Gavin crossed his arms. "You're not immune to my magic either."

The siren made a show of crossing his arms, his gills fluttering.  
  
Gavin smiled a bit at the display, "Listen, I'm just saying that neither of us are normal. We both have magic and we're both a bit weird." He walked forward a bit, "If you're interested in this becoming something more, we can make it work. I am definitely not afraid of you." A beat, "what do you say?"  
  
Nines raised an eyebrow and gestured towards his face. He was clearly very flustered and still upset.  
  
"Oh." Gavin blushed, this time from embarrassment. **_"Nines, disputatio."_ **

Nines made a show of opening and closing his gills. "Gav, I know you're powerful, but what? You plan on silencing me every time I… I… We?" He trailed off, looking unsure.

The witch blinked, "I mean…" he chewed his lip. "We can make it work without it. You care about me right?"

Nines blinked slowly and ran a nervous hand through his hair. "More than anything," he admitted softly. 

"Then we can make this work. Magic or no magic. We just have to try."

"I just don't want to hurt you, and I can!" Nines repeated, "I'm _a monster, _ Gavin. And you? You're so good."

Gavin flushed and shook his head, "I'm not good Nines and you're no monster."

_**"Yes, I am!"**_ Nines screeched, the sound deafening. It echoed around and there was an eruption of chaos as the chickens scrambled in fear and the goats bleated and ran nervously. Then an equally deafening silence followed. 

Nines' sparkly blue eyes looked wide and horrified as he saw the terrified animals reacting to his ear-splitting scream. He looked back towards Gavin and he shook his head and looked down at his hands. His claws unsheathed and their only black colour sharply contrasted his pale skin. Gavin himself had taken a step back in fear.

Nines noticed as this and shook his head. "Yes,_ I am," _he finally whispered as he looked up again. Then inky blue tears started rolling down his cheeks. He took a clumsy step backwards and his leg failed him slightly and he stumbled. "I… I can't do this anymore… I'm going to end up hurting you. Worse than I already have.” Then he took another step backwards while wrapping his arms around himself. 

Gavin has never seen someone so terrified before and it looked like he was scared of himself. "Ni… it's okay. I promise."

Nines shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry." He murmured before he was taking several steps away and the all at once scrambling away.

Gavin's brain took a few seconds to catch up to what was happening. Nines was leaving! "NINES! _ WAIT!" _ Gavin dropped the basket of milk bottles, vaguely aware of the sound of them shattering.

Nines didn't wait, he just kept retreating. Away from the farm, away from Gavin. Away from his life here. 

** _"Nines!" _ **Gavin tried again as he finally convinced his legs to work. He couldn't lose Nines. He was sure he loved… he froze as he lost sight of his siren. How had he gotten away so quickly?

His heart hammering in his chest, a harsh combination with it breaking at the same time.

Gavin chased around looking desperately for his siren. "Nines! Don't leave me! _ Please!" _But there was no sign of him anywhere.

He collapsed to his knees and tears burned the witch's eyes. He was alone again.

_ Nines was gone! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Sion, my lovely artist. Who has been putting up with me for waaaaay too long XD  
Here's his links! Check him out!  
Twitter: [Sionfaileas' Twitter](https://twitter.com/sionfaileas)  
Instagram: [Sionfaileas' art Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sionnachvoyant/) and [Sionfaileas' Cosplay Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sionnach.cos/)


	12. Low Tide

Nines just ran and ran. His lungs burned and his legs hurt. The sound of his feet hitting the ground and the harsh echo of his breathing were the only sounds rushing through his burning ears for several long moments. If this has been any other circumstance, he would have been impressed by how much he could run now.

Then the sound of the ocean started mixing in and getting louder and more threatening as he got further and further away from the place he'd called home just moments ago.

He kept on running until he felt his legs give out from under him and he collapsed onto the sand. He let out a shriek that echoed around him violently. The seagulls scatter with their cries and the sound of fluttering wings. 

Nines felt his throat and half-formed gills ache with the sound of his anguish. His clawed hands were going to grip at his face as he began to sob. The rough noises rattling around in his chest, as if he hadn't cried enough already.

He let the tears flow freely as he choked around the emotions crawling up his throat. He'd fucked up. He'd fucked up so badly. He… he just wanted Gavin to be his and then he had gone and used his cursed magic against the very man he had fallen in love with. Then in his panic, he'd used his magic  _ again _ to wipe Gavin's memory of the event. 

No matter what Gavin had said, only a monster could do such a thing. He'd been a fool to think that a siren could love a human in any way that mattered. Fuck, his kind was known for killing humans and that wasn't a myth that been unearned. He'd seen the caresses and bones of many a fallen sailor. 

Gavin… He was such a good person. He had a bright smile and a good heart. Though he was a bit grouchy and abrasive. But someone had hurt the witch before the siren came around, he just didn't know the story of why or how. 

Nines couldn’t stand the idea of hurting Gavin… the witch would move on. What they had could never work out as real love. No, their worlds were too different. 

So, Nines continued to cry. Letting the tears burn his eyes and face, as he mourned the life and love he had just lost. Then again he deserved the pain for being foolish enough to think he deserved such a thing. Love… wasn't for sirens. It wasn't for Nines.

When the tears would no longer come, Nines rubbed his wet hands at his face and sucked in the salty air. He blinked as he saw the sun reflected against the crystal blue sea. He must have run here on instincts alone. The sound of the waves finally fully washing over his senses as his sobs faded into choked hiccups.

What would he do now? He asked himself as he stared at the slowly falling sun. He couldn't live on land unless he had a source of water to recharge in and without the pool or the tub at Gavin's cabin, he had no idea where that could even be. He knew he had to form back eventually, but he didn't want to go back to the ocean quite yet. He wasn't ready. It wasn't his home anymore. He'd already left that behind. 

Nines reached down and buried his hands in the warm sand and he sighed. He'd have to spend the night in the ocean and then he could go from there. He'd make a plan and then he would start over… again. He couldn't live in the ocean. It was too dangerous and he didn't belong there either. He really didn't belong anywhere.

He chewed at his lip as his mind started to run a million miles a minute now that the tears had stopped. He had to come up with a plan or he'd be good as dead by the end of the week. 

He stood up and walked closer to the waves crashing onto the beach. He took his sandals off and slowly and methodically took off the rest of his clothes. He walked towards a large rock overhang and laid the clothes down in a neat and folded pile. Hopefully, the high tide won't wash them away here.

He then walked into the water and wiggled his toes in the wet sand. It felt refreshing and weird to be in the water with his human legs still formed, but he learned he loved experiencing new things. He looked up and watched the clouds roll across the sky. 

The world was so peaceful despite how his chest felt like it was filled with knives. He needed to move forward regardless of how much pain he was in. His everything hurt and he knew Gavin was probably hurting in a similar way as well. 

Nines gasped and had to squeeze his eyes shut against that thought. Gavin deserved better, he deserved a human. Nines couldn't even think about how much he'd hurt the witch. He needed to be strong in his resolve. He needed to make a plan moving forward. He was a rogue siren that was living on land and no longer had a home on the land or in the sea. He had nowhere to go. The thought repeating in his head again.

These thoughts rolling around made him panic. He had to come up with a plan, even before he stepped a fin into the ocean. He racked his brain for any idea to get him a place to exist that wouldn't be too horrible or put him in too much danger.

He chewed his lip, maybe he could salvage that old pirate shipwreck that probably still had an unopened chest inside. There might be something in there that he could use to buy temporary lodgings or the like. Yeah… that was a good place to start. Plus, a shipwreck is as good a place as any to spend the night. 

Nines let out a sigh of relief as he felt the half-formed plan settle his mind a bit. He knew that he didn't want to live in the ocean anymore. He wanted to live as a human. He was going to be a danger if he lived with other humans. But other humans weren't Gavin and he could control himself for the two days it would probably take to get something sorted out. Then he could leave everyone alone.

Maybe he could even follow Gavin's example and live alone on a little farm. He knew how to run one. He learned the trade extremely well over the few moons he'd lived with the scarred witch.

He felt his eyes burn again as he thought about Gavin again. The swirls of what could have been just made his freshly broken heartache. He wrapped his arms around himself and looked down at the water and finally willed his feet to walk forward and he went deeper and deeper into the water. The cool sensation making his skin tingle. Then when he was deep enough, he dived below the surface and formed his fin. Then he was swimming towards the wreck as fast as he could. 

Away from the life, he'd been looking forward to having for the rest of it. Away from the man he had fallen for. A man he was still very much in love with. Away from the place he considered his home.

~

The swim took an undetermined amount of time, but when the old wreck was looming on the horizon, Nines was exhausted. He had only stopped on his trip here to grab one of his shoulder bags. Who knew a being made for swimming their entire life could get this tired from  _ swimming _ . Then again he hadn’t swan so much in moons. 

Needless to say, as soon as he went into the slightly cooler water of the shipwreck he let himself drift down on the cool, algae-covered wood. He stuck a tongue out at the sensation. Had the ocean always been this gross? But it felt good to let his tail rest as he gulped in the water through his gills, which at least some part of himself was enjoying his adventure. His gills really didn’t appreciate the dry, shore air all the time even if the rest of him loved it.

He chuckled to himself sadly at an old human saying Gavin had said to him.

_ “Wow, you’ve taken to reading like a fish to water,” His tone was both teasing and warm.  _

_ “Fish do not take to the water, they are born there,” Nines had responded, mildly confused. _

_ “Well, all fish can swim, can’t they?” _

_ “If they don’t they die.” _

_ Gavin chuckled awkwardly and went back to the lesson after that. _

Nines let out a choked noise. His eyes stung as his inner eyelid rapidly blinked. Tears spilt down his face as the hurt set in again. The inky blue and oily matter pooled around him as he cried once again. Even crying underwater was more tedious than doing it on land. He didn’t cry water because, no it would be too easy to hide his pain that way. His messy tears resembled blue squid ink if anything. 

Another sudden and painful reminder than he would never be human enough. He would always and forever be a sea monster. A creature that pirates told their children about on dark and stormy nights. A warning that left nearly every pirate's mouth at least once. 

He was a monster.

Nines swallowed around his emotions. He needed to stop throwing himself a pity party. He had done the right thing. No one ever said doing the right thing felt good. He was the one who fooled himself into falling for a human. Fuck, most siren relationships didn't have love in them. Wasn't really their forte.

He rubbed at his face. His hands felt oily as he wiped the tears away, but it didn't really help them stop. He just let the decidedly deserved tears slip-free. After this, there would be no more. He didn't deserve to mourn something he shouldn't have even had in the first place.

When he felt the tears finally slow to a stop, he opened his eyes and looked at his blue-stained hands. It kind of looked like his blood, he realized the gory implications of that. His stomach swirled. 

There were far too many ways for him to be caught if he was among humans. Blue blood, inky tears, claws, sharp teeth, gills, and his fins and tails if caught unawares. But despite all that he couldn't stay in the ocean, he would be killed on sight if a member of his old pod besides Connor spotted him. Hell, he was on borrowed time already. 

He gulped down some water and pushed it through his gills. Then he steeled his resolve, it was time to move forward. 

He swished once firmly with his fin and pulled himself up from the slimy deck of the ship. He knew what he was looking for and it was hidden. He knew he needed to make this fast.

He swam to a grate that would lead to below the deck of the ship. He grabbed between the bars and pulled with all his might, tearing the grate from it's home. Revealing the cabins and the area below. 

Nines only hesitated briefly before swimming through. He marvelled at the interior and how it was frozen in time. The candelas on the wall were still slightly shiny, despite the sea life that was starting to stick to them. Nines could see the doors and the portholes were still mostly intact, but he also knew a good smack and they would cave in behind his force. But he saw no reason to destroy them, he was only looking for one thing. The treasure holds. Because this was a pirate ship and as many tales as the seafaring men told about Sirens; Sirens had their own stories about pirates as well. Greedy men that worked with expensive goods and precious metal and stones. This is a tale proven true by many of his and Connor's adventures as guppies.

He swam slowly and observed all he could. It was interesting to see the ship from a different set of eyes, since he had lived as a human for the last several moons. The work that went into this ship must have been masterful. How many people did it take? How long? How many voyages did it take before whatever brought it to its untimely end? The questions swirled around his mind. 

Then he saw something that made him freeze in horror. The bones of a pirate were resting at the bottom of the stairs. The clothes were long gone and the bones were starting to decay as well. Nines looked away quickly and swallowed down a wave of nausea. He’s seen the bones of humans before, but he was a different siren then. 

A few different types of questions whirled around in his brain after that. How many people had been on this ship? Did everyone die? Would he see more bones? He didn't like the idea of that. He tucked his shoulder bag closer to himself for comfort and swam further inside the ship.

A few minutes later he found a large metal door that looked promising. He had already peaked through several cargo holds, just seeing empty partially rotted crates and barrels. He had no idea what could have been in those before the ocean took her keep. 

Nines shook his head as he refocused his brain on the task at hand. He swam over and shoved his body against the door and pushed. There was a slight give, and he chirped happily as he tried again and again until he had managed to move the door enough that he could fit through.

He blinked as he adjusted to the darkness and took in the room he just entered. He smirked as he noticed several chests and other locked boxes. 

“Jackpot,” He murmured happily, a word he had learned from Gavin. He ignored the ping in his chest at the thought.

He pulled out a dagger and stabbed into the seam of the first chest he had seen. It only took so much force before it popped open. He marvelled at the contents. It wasn’t anything he could use, but instead several smaller paintings on canvases. He wanted to touch and look, but he knew the paper-like material would disintegrate the second he touched them. So, he just gently closed the chest and moved onto the next one.

He repeated the process several times, finding things like bottles of exotic alcohols, what was once spices, maps and paper money that fell apart as their chests were opened, and even a crate of swords and daggers. If they weren’t so rusted Nines would have considered taking one or two.

Nines was starting to get worried he wasn’t going to find what he was looking for after all as the number of unexplored chests dwindled down. He felt a bit nervous at the prospect, he really didn’t have another plan after this one. 

He steeled his reserve as he went to pop open another chest. This one was smaller and fought against him a bit more, as the lock was a bit more sturdy. Then with a crunch it broke.

“Poseidon,” Nines swore as his eyes fell upon exactly what he’d hope to find. Actual treasure. Relief washed over him as he reached out and touched it. He’d seen things like this before. The females in his pod would often bring the treasure back for bragging rights and to decorate and to make jewellery with. But at that moment it meant Nines could run away without looking back. It meant freedom. He couldn’t wait to tell Gavin.

He choked on the water in his lungs at that stinging thought. He wouldn’t be able to tell Gavin anything about this… He wouldn’t be seeing Gavin again. 

Poseidon, why did this hurt so much?

Nines shook his head with stern resolve. This was for the best. Gavin could do better without him, he’d only hurt the caring witch. He already had. He pushed the thoughts away and reached out and grabbed ahold of the precious coins and gems and started shoving as many as he could carry into his shoulder bag. 

Amazingly he could fit everything from the small chest inside. It was awkward and a bit heavy but he couldn’t care less. The more, the better and the easier his new life would be with more valuables. 

Once he was situated he swam back out of the vault, knowing the longer he lingered in the ocean the more peril he was putting himself in.

He held the shoulder bag close to himself as he hastily made his way out of the shipwreck. He looked back at it as he swam past where he ripped up the grate. He made sure to send out a silent thanks for what he had taken, another thing he picked up from Gavin before he swam away as fast as he could.

Nines was huffing and lagging before he was halfway to the shore. He hadn’t eaten since the morning and that already felt like a lifetime ago and he was still exhausted from  _ everything. _ He didn’t know if he could make it out of the ocean before he needed to take care of himself. And he knew he was going to be too tired to transform and maintain if he forced himself too far. 

He sighed and slowly down his swimming. He added another step to his still mostly half-baked plan. He just needed to catch a fish or two and find a place to sleep and then he would make it to the shore and go to the nearest port city and start life anew.

He found a place that he would be sleeping at and stashed his bag. He was nervous to leave it alone, but he had to take care of himself. So, reluctantly he swam away and went to catch a fish or two.

After his successful hunt, it was the ocean and he was a siren so he wouldn’t have gone without, he settled in the little spot he had dug out for himself. He listlessly bit into the fish and as he chewed he was hit with another wave of crippling sadness. Eating cooked food has really spoiled his taste for raw fish. He sobbed after he swallowed the first bite. He wasn’t handling this well. He selfishly really fucking missed Gavin. He was already missing the life they had built together. A life he was stupid enough to ruin because he was selfish and had wanted more. 

“Is that fish  _ that  _ terrible?” A very fond, but equally unfamiliar voice called out from behind him.

Nines froze and he was suddenly on extremely high alert. He didn’t move or address the asker immediately, waiting to see what would happen next.

“You’re way out of your pod’s turf,” The voice continued, “Did something happen, Con?” 

Nines jolted violently, and then he swirled around and stared at who had mistaken him for his twin. It was an older male siren. One that looked like he had seen quite a bit of life, he had long silver hair and a simple blue tailfin with a few scars.

The stranger’s eyes widened and he swam back a pace. “Well, fuck. You’re not Connor.”

“No, I’m not,” Nines said slowly as he in an oddly protective gesture pulled the fish closer to his chest. “I don’t know you.”

“I’d guess not then,” The man said in a vaguely fond but still unreadable tone, “You must be Nines, then?”

Nines lurched back a pace, but not exactly away but towards his stash. He didn’t know what to do with this. “How do you know my brother and by extension know of me?” he asked with a firm tone.

The other siren looked sheepish as he ran a hand through his loose, grey waves. “You wouldn’t know me, that’s right,” he mused awkwardly. “Connor mentioned you left for the shore to do something or another over a season or so ago. Thought you were dead, that’s why I assumed you were him.”

“Why would Connor tell you that?” Nines said, a small hiss entering his voice from the nerves.

The other siren made a friendly gesture with his hands and tail, “I’ve been seeing Connor for a while now. We talk about a lot of things.”

Nines blinked as he remembered the tiny conversation he had just recently with Connor. How could he have blanked on such important and new information? He shook his head, a lot had happened between then and now. “You… You are my brother’s mate?”

Hank flushed a deep blue at that, “We’re not mates… formally at least. You know as well as I do, how well that would go over.”

Nines felt his extremely defensive posture deflate a little bit, “Yeah… I do.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Nines, I’m Hank. I never thought I’d get the chance since you can’t really meet a dead man.” He offered his arm in greeting.

Nines looked at him nervously and nodded grabbing Hank’s forearm nervously before pulling away just as quickly. He swam back towards his stash protectively. “Glad to meet you as well, Hank,” he responded quietly.

“Good,” Hank said simply, “Now why were you crying while eating that fish?”

Nines didn’t see the harm in being at least vaguely honest, “I had a courting go poorly.”

Hank flinched and looked sympathetic. “That fucking sucks.”

Nines chirped noncommittally. He didn’t want to talk about it.

Hank seemed to notice this but elected to ignore it. “So, were you courting some in the ocean or on land?” It almost sounded like a joke, because a siren courting a land race? It would be a joke. It was a joke.

Nines jerked a bit, tearing his claws into the fish still clutched in his hands. “He was a human.”

Hank’s gills flared showing his shock. “Okay, gotta be honest wasn’t expecting that answer.” He let out a whistle, “You really are like Connor in that aspect, love breaking the rules, huh?”

“I guess love makes you stupid,” Nines said with that hiss returning to his words. Then he sighed and softened a bit again, “So, how’d you steal my twin’s heart? I know he doesn’t like to break the rules.”

Hank smiled fondly, “Yeah, that’s true. Met him while we were both out hunting outside of normal siren areas. Though I think he was looking for you and I wanted to be away for a while. We had a nice talk and that was all she wrote.”

“That’s good, now that I’m not around he needs some to be there for him,” Nines mused. Then he looked toward where his pod’s nests were. “Are you heading to see him now?”

“I am,” Hank confirmed with a nod and twitch of his tail.

“When you see him tell him I said hello?” Nines asked shyly. 

“Sure. Do you not want to see him yourself?”

“I wish I could, but I’m leaving again tonight,” Nines replied quickly, really hoping Hank wouldn’t press.

“Yeah, couldn’t really stay here too much longer, huh?” Hank said as he swam a pace towards him, “I’ll be sure to tell Connor you said that and that you’re okay as well.”

Nines nodded slowly and then turned his gaze down to the now mutilated fish in his grasp. He didn’t have much else to say to the mostly still a stranger.

Hank chirped in a comforting way, “Listen, kid. Something going like that sucks, but I can tell from personal experience pain gets easier to bear in time. One day you’ll look back, less so on the pain, and hold onto the good parts of what happened instead.”

Nines looked up again and nodded sadly, “Maybe one day.”

“Good,” Hank chirped, “Now if you think you're going to be okay, I’ll leave you to your dinner and the rest of your life. I have to get to our meeting spot before I miss him.”

“Yeah, don’t leave Con waiting,” Nines said softly. He could tell his brother was in good hands after all. That was a comfort.

“I won’t,” Then Hank gestured in a traditional siren goodbye and Nines had to actually think about the proper way to do that and not just wave like a crazy human. 

He watched Hank swim away quickly and then he was alone again. He timidly lifted the fish to his mouth and nibbled at it. Maybe it was time for a rest after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mundane Pain.


	13. An Ocean of Despair

Gavin didn’t know how long he remained at the outside of his farm. Where the earthy soil was starting to mix with the sand. Where the grass had a crunch below his scraped up knees. 

He had run out of tears some time ago and he just had the hiccups as he breathed in the crisp air of the late summer shore. It was such a beautiful and lovely scene as he laid there with a broken heart. 

It wasn’t until there was a soft bump against his arm and the rumble of a comforting purr echoing in the back of his head that he even remembered to exist beyond the ache in his chest.

_ ‘I’m sorry.’  _ The echo of Molly’s sweet voice trying to comfort him.

“He’s gone, Mo,” Gavin choked out as he kept his gaze fixed on the ocean, “he left us… He left me.”

_ ‘I know,’  _ Molly said as she patted her paw against his thigh,  _ ‘I’ll miss him too.’ _

He felt a few more stubborn tears fall down his swollen cheeks, “I love him, Molly.”

_ 'I know,' _ she replied sagely.

"I never got to tell him," he added as he wrapped his arms around himself. His chest splintering with pain. A pain no healing salve or spell could heal or ease.

_ 'I think he knows,' _ Molly added as she too looked out to the ocean as well.

"That…. That doesn't make me feel any better." He laughed at that. The sound cracked and strained by tears. "I wish he didn't think he had to leave… we're not so different. We never were." He looked down at his stained farm clothes and sighed brokenly. "I can't follow him out there. I can't swim that well. And fuck, we don't even know it the legends are true."

Molly slowly blinked as she looked up at him in question.

"Oh, the legend about how kissing a mermaid who loves you and makes it where you can breathe underwater," Gavin shook his head, "and we know sirens and mermaids are really fucking different." He would laugh at the memories of Nines indignant explanations of the differences.

Gavin's gaze went back to the sparkling surface of the water and his heart skipped a beat. It almost felt like the water was calling him. As if he had to find out the truth.

Gavin could tell Molly didn't like where this was going by the quiet unease that poured through their connection.

He blinked. There was only one way to find out. The sand crunched as he started to stand up. His joints popping and aching from sitting too long.

_ 'No, don't you do it!' _ Molly hissed as Gavin stood up. 

"Too late, Mo," Gavin responded as he started walking toward the sparkling ocean. The sand crunched below his feet as he got closer.

_ 'Gavin! I swear!' _ Molly yowled as she scrambled after him.  _ 'I can't save you from the ocean!' _

"That's okay. I won't need you to," Gavin said as he tossed his t-shirt over his head as he walked up to the wet sand. Then he stripped his binder and then his pants and socks and shoes. Leaving on his underwear and nothing else. Then he walked to the water flinching as a cold wave hit his feet. He shivered, nervous. 

He often asked himself why he settled by the shore when he didn't like swimming or fishing all too much. Heaven forbid you actually get him in a boat. Maybe it was the fates. Then again if that was the case the fates were being cruel.

He swallowed his nerves and walked into deeper water and felt the cold and soothing sensation cover more and more of his skin.

_ 'Gavin!' _ Molly screamed through the connection once again. 

Gavin ignored her. He was on a mission. He needed answers so he kept wading into deeper water. The thought that he was being lured into the depth by a siren who wasn’t even there nor singing to him. The irony wasn’t lost on him.

Then the drop off was visible as the water was just below his breasts. He took a deep breath as he dove under the water. He opened his eyes and blinked away the water and got used to the salty burn. Then he took in his surroundings. He felt like he could actually see everything around him much better than the last time he went swimming. Maybe it had been too long. The ocean was always so beautiful as he built up the nerves to test his theory that the legend had been true.

When his lungs started to burn he forced himself to take a deep breath in the water. Gavin was ready for the choking sensation and the panic as he would force him to swim to the surface.

But it never happened and his lungs stopped burning. 

“Holy phck,” Gavin said slowly wondering if that meant he could talk underwater as well.  _ “Holy phck!”  _ He repeated, amazed. Other than the swimming he was doing in place it felt like he was on land. Several things fought for his attention in his mind. What this could mean.

“He loves me back,” Gavin whispered to the water surrounding him. Whispering an unspoken secret to the ocean. He couldn’t tell if he was crying but he felt like he should be. “Nines?” He called out softly.

There wasn’t an answer.

_ “Nines!” _ Gavin tried again louder,  ** _“Nines!”_ ** Now Gavin was sure he was crying again. Even if he couldn't really feel it. What use was being able to breathe underwater if he didn’t have his siren to share the ocean with? They could have gone fishing together. They could have gone for swims together!

He swam a little ways further into the ocean and sighed as he realized that just because he could breathe underwater didn’t make swimming any less exhausting or easier. He couldn't do this as he felt himself sinking further into the ocean. A heavy pull down into the depths he might not be able to swim out of if he let himself sink in too far.

He wouldn’t even be able to seek out his siren because he still couldn’t swim very well. He let out an agonized scream as the water around him didn't even stir. He thrashed as he kicked out at the compressed sand. Agony and rage making him fight. His hands scrabbled for purchase as he started clawing and struggled his way back to the shoreline. 

He swam up the drop-off and crawled himself awkwardly up the sand bar. Then he stood on shaky legs and his head broke the surface of the water.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to shatter the peaceful world around him.

He tried to pull in a breath of air, but his lungs seized as they rejected the water inside them harshly. He was coughing and hacking out globs of seawater. 

_ 'Fuck! Gavin?' _ Molly screamed when Gavin couldn't ignore their connection anymore. He was sure she was pacing on the beach.

But Gavin was more focused on purging the rest of the water from his respiratory system. Then once all the water was gone Gavin could breathe again. He needed to remember that for next time. 

If there was a next time, he scoffed. He wouldn't do that again without reason and searching for a lost siren in the vast ocean as a human who could barely swim. It would be an exhausting waste of time. A heartbreaking endeavour.

The weight of the world settled on his shoulders as he trudged through the water back to the shore and back to a still very nervous Molly. 

Once one foot was on dry land he collapsed onto the sand. He took a deep breath and let the tears run down his sticky and now sand coated cheeks. "Phck," he managed pathetically.

Molly had appeared almost instantly and was licking at his face.  _ 'Don't you ever scare me like that again, you piece of shit.' _

"Love you too, Mo," Gavin choked out as he lifted a hand to pet her with. 

She leaned into it and purred comfortingly, letting her clear love for him leak through their unbreakable bond.

"Good news and bad," Gavin whispered, and only answered after he got a soft nudge from her in return, "it worked." He left it at that. Molly would understand.

Then his hand that wasn't on his loving familiar dug harshly into the wet sand and he let out another broken and pathetic sob, though this one was more filled with sorrow and anger. "How dare he? He got me to love him! Swam right into my fucking heart and then just fucking leaves! That goddamned motherfucking bitch!" He screamed ragged around the all-consuming sobs. 

Then his voice faded away into something small and broken, "I should have known better. I'm a fucking moron."

_ 'None of that now. You couldn't have known,' _ Molly assured quietly.

"But I'm  _ me, _ Molly. And I'm sure he doesn't even know the truth about me. More than one of those in fact. Maybe it's better that he left when he did." He finally pulled himself into a sitting position. And annoyed, swiped his hands across his chest to remove the sand. It didn't work, he'd have to use magic later. 

Molly just sent over awkward comfort, that signalled she was at a loss for words and felt feelings would be better. Which she was correct, the love she sent over was a balm on his shattered heart. 

He chuckled sadly as he pulled himself into wobbly feet. "At least I'll always have you and the girls… And Benedict." He snatched up his clothes, not even bothering to put the clothes over his sand-covered and exposed skin. He then started walking back towards his little farm. Just him and his animals… just like it was supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Molly is the real MVP.


	14. Black Magic

Gavin had slowly made it back to the house and then before he even walked inside he stripped his underwear off and used a simple spell to launch all the sand off his now naked body and his clothes. 

He walked inside and threw his clothes into the hamper in his bedroom before he walked over to the tu… bathroom with the intention of taking a bath.

Then he swung open the door and his heart dropped to his feet. The bathroom had kind of become Nines' room over the time he had spent here. And laid out in every inch of the space was his presence even if he was gone. 

His clothes were on a shelf they had made together. Towels covered the spot where he got out of the tub and spilt water on the floor that morning. A book on the corner of the sink that he had been reading, despite Gavin's protests about him reading in the tub. He picked it up and smiled shakily. He could see we're the corners of the fairytale book were curled from getting slightly wet. 

Gavin looked at the beginning and noted it was  _ The Little Mermaid. _ How fitting, but Gavin found himself slightly happy that Nines hadn't gotten to read the sad ending of the book. Even if they hadn't gotten their happy ending either.

He put the book down before he could possibly make himself feel even worse. He'd have to clean this room out to be able to deal with this, but that idea also hurt. Later, he’d do that later.

He rubbed his hands on his face with vigour. He just needed to take his bath and get the fuck out of this room.

He pumped the faucet and filled the tub about halfway and climbed in. He sighed the feeling and started washing away the grimy and salty feel of the ocean off of his body. It was a sensation he'd grown more used to because the pool he had built for Nines had saltwater but today it just felt hollow like he was washing away the past.

Gavin groaned as once again his thoughts plunged. He scrubbed his skin until he was rubbed red and then he climbed out mostly feeling clean, although empty.

He grabbed a towel and headed to the bedroom and got dressed in something loose. He didn't think he could bind anymore today with how much his heart hurt, even if he knew the pains in his chest were completely unrelated.

Then when he was popping his knuckles as he walked over to his bookcase of spellbooks. 

He turned to Molly as she hopped up onto the table. "It looks like it's time to find and cast a memory restoration spell."

Molly sneezed,  _ 'Are you sure that is a good idea?' _

"I'd rather have my memories all there and to hurt like fuck than to  _ not  _ have them at all." When Molly couldn’t seem to come up with a reasonable response, he pulled out the first book that seemed to be a likely candidate and took a seat and started reading. 

~

It would take several days for Gavin to find the spell he was looking for. And with each day came a new struggle and fresh heartbreak. Nines had woven himself so thoroughly into everything on Gavin's little farm it was as if the witch couldn't get away from him anywhere.

And with every sunset, the little flame of hope that Nines would come home got smaller and smaller.

Gavin broke a few small things to cope. It made him feel better until he had to cast a mending spell through tears and he had to soothe scared animals after his outbursts.

But now it was night time and the moon was full and his powers were at their height. He popped his knuckles and looked at the spellbook and notes he had made. He hadn't done something like this in a while, but after all the projects and things he had done with magic over the last few months, this was the most practised he has had since after he moved here and got everything set up. Which was a long-winded way of saying  _ years.  _ And that wasn’t even mentioning that this spell into the category of dark magic, which he wasn’t very well versed in any way.

Molly watches him with careful eyes, channelling a bit of his and her energy together.

"Well this is it, Mo," Gavin mused as he lifted up his hands. It was a long and difficult incantation, but he was sure it would work. He took a deep breath and his eyes wandered up to the moon before he let the familiar latin fall from his lips.

** _"Luna restituet memoria Nines. Removes obstructionum!" _ **

There was a flash and crackle as a pain exploded in the back of Gavin's brain. He let out a scream and collapsed to his knees. Tears instantly sprang to his years. Fuck, why did dark magic always hurt so fucking much?

The air smelled like ozone and it felt like his nose was bleeding as hands pressed on his temples, but when he closed his eyes the foggy and non-existent memories started washing over him. They hurt with the sudden rush of clarity.

It was a sweet memory, he quickly decided even as his heart ached and tears flowed down his cheeks for several different reasons. 

They had dinner and it was lovely, Gavin couldn't tell who had started the kiss even with the spell's help. Nines was determined to wrap him up in every part of him he could. It was such a sweet thing and he could feel the love and heat radiating from the siren.

Then when they ended up tangled up in bed, Gavin couldn't help but feel the colour rise to his face. But the part that was lost on him the most is the memory of how lovely Nines sounded when he started humming, but he could remember it as clear as day as he almost felt his blood turn to honey.

The singing when it started was intoxicating. Gavin still didn't know what any of the words meant, but he could still feel the sheer emotion off of them, and he knew he could feel them when he was in the moment as well. It just told him something he had already learned, Nines loved him. Nines loved him so fucking much.

The memory turned sour after that as Gavin was wholly overtaken by lust and couldn't think straight. Nines noticed his transgression at that moment as well and scrambled away, leaving Gavin empty, soaked, and sobbing. Until the magic faded and he had gone looking for Nines only to have his memory wiped and gently tucked into bed.

Gavin choked out a pathetic sob as the spell released its vice grip on his brain. Dark magic like this was never comfortable on a witch that wasn't trained in it. Let alone a spell on the mind, but that didn't matter because now he knew the full truth. The pain was always worth the truth.

Nines never meant to hurt him. He never meant to manipulate Gavin. He was just as swept away in the moment as Gavin, but since he was a siren the effects were disastrous on Gavin's human mind. 

Gavin sat up a bit more and wrapped his arms around his aching chest. 

He didn't notice Molly had moved until she was climbing into his lap, purring sending comfort like she had been since Nines left.  _ 'Does it hurt in a good way or a bad way?' _

"Oh, Mo, both. He never meant to," Gavin choked out. "Goddess, I hate that he thinks he's a monster because he loves me and tried to show me in a way that was natural for him." 

Molly just continued to purr and soothe him.

"I want him to come home. I want him to come home so bad. I miss him."

_ 'I know,' _ Molly echoed again. He could tell she was prepared to have this conversation as many times as she needed to. And she would for a while. 

"I hope he comes back. I just want to tell him I love him. Just once. Just so he knows. I want him to know he's not the monster he thinks he is. He's so good." The tears and sobs continued to wrack his body as he process just how fucking cheated they had been by this. 

_ 'I know, Gavin. And maybe he will come back someday. The fates wouldn't be so cruel. Have hope.' _ Molly’s tone was ever sure and steady as she sent over comfort and her own hope that Nines would return.

But hope was a limited resource and it usually dried up by winter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art is actually mine this time :D


	15. A New Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry about the wait! I've been spending far more time writing than editing recently.

Nines hadn't really enjoyed the rest of his night in the ocean. He didn't rest well, because he was nervous for several reasons. The treasure, being found out, and simply not being used to sleeping in the ocean anymore. He missed the farm acutely. He preferred the hooting of the owls to the sound of whale song, he realized, sadly.

He was far too happy to pack his things and swim as fast as he could towards the shore. He was far too aware just how unhappy he was in the ocean as the sand and fish flashed by him.

When he finally made it to the shore and the cove where he hid his clothes, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He was far too eager as he quickly transformed and rid himself of his fins. Wiggling his toes in the sand as he walked to the hidden rocks. A novel sensation but one he found he enjoyed.

He ended up laying down on the rock soaking up the sunshine. He didn’t necessarily have to, considering he was a mammal and therefore warm-blooded. But the ocean had been unforgiving with its chill seeping down into his bones and he didn’t want to get into his clothes with wet skin.

He didn’t know how long he laid there as the sun dried off his skin and the warmth finally chased away the lingering chill. He stood up on steady legs and walked over to his neatly folded clothes and pulled them on. Happy that he had worn his turtleneck, making his disguise easier to have on for longer. With the fact that his gills look like scars no matter what he does to hide them. He didn't want to have to come up with some fantastic story about why he had scars on his neck.

He knew the closest port city wasn’t too far away, it could probably get there by a little bit past noon. He wished he could swim there, but the matter of his clothes stopped him, so he walked. Still very happy to be out of the water, regardless.

Nines was definitely tired when he saw the lights of the port city reflecting on the water and the houses in the distance. He had a small burst of nervous energy, but it faded much faster than he thought it would. He really felt like he could belong here. 

Nines looked around the shore for a place to rest before he went into the city. So he wouldn't have to worry about his disguise fading out on him. Sure, he had gotten really good at this magic, it was still exhausting and the last thing he wanted was to fall out and turn in the middle of the street.

After a few minutes of looking around, he managed to find a small rocky cave with a tide pool on the inside. It was actually quite comfy looking. Back when he still was a nursery siren, he would have loved to have had somewhere like this to hide away at. He shook his head to rid it of those thoughts.

He awkwardly climbed his way inside and decided this was a nice little place. Cozy. 

He quickly stripped his pants off and let his tailfin reform and dipped into the tide pool. The water was warm and added to the comfy vibe he had here. 

He looked at the cool black and white of his fin and wondered if he could actually pull off a ruse on such a large scale. He sure hoped so. He didn't have any other options. He leaned back and let his eyes drift closed for a small doze. Hoping to keep the doubt at bay.

Nines startled awake some amount of time later, but the sun was definitely lower in the sky. He yawned and popped his back as he casually transformed and stood up. He slipped his underwear, pants, and shoes back on. Then he put his shoulder bag back on and took a deep breath through his nose before he climbed back up the rocks. He looked at the lights dancing on the water and started walking towards them. It was time.

~

Nines made sure to walk off the beach and made it look like he walked into the main street from inland instead of the beach. His heart slammed in his chest at all the unfamiliar surroundings. He heard about them and read about them, but seeing them was decidedly different. This was a  _ city _ and Nines was a siren hiding as a human. 

He wrapped his hands around the strap of his bag and pulled it closer to his chest. He then looked around with wide eyes. The city was very different than the farm. He swallowed down his nerves and decided the tavern would be as good a place as any to start. 

He looked up the sign and was once again extremely thankful Gavin had also helped him get better at reading common because that’s all the printed words were in. 

Thankfully, he found the tavern pretty quickly, more so by the sounds of people than the sign that declared loudly,  **The Burly Elf Tavern.**

Nines straightened his spine and decided to push the swinging door open and cross the threshold. A few people looked up at him as he entered but most people weren’t interested in the tall and freckled man that had just walked in. He let out a breath and walked up the bar, where he looked like he could sit alone but still try to gossip with the barkeep.

He pulled out a stool and took a seat. He put his tightly closed bag on his lap and pulled out a gold piece and hoped this would work.

Nines looked up and he blinked as he took in the man behind the bar. He was a large black man, with pointed ears and a glower. Nines guessed he was an elf. He wasn't like any elf he'd seen before, but then again he'd seen maybe three and all from a distance.

Nines didn't call him over just clutched the coin in his hand, feeling the cold leak into his fingers. He'd already made up what was hopefully an excusable story about how he had old or odd coinage, should the need arise.

Then the barkeep walked over, "What can I get for you?"

Nines blinked and had to make sure he didn't make a fool of himself. He put the coin down on the bar, "I'll just take a mug of whatever you recommend."

The barkeep picked up the coin and looked at it. "This isn't usual money around here, but since it's gold you're good. But you might want to stop by the bank and get some local before you shop anywhere else." Then he walked over and put the coin away, made him a drink, and returned with a small exchange of silver coins. "Enjoy."

Nines nodded, surprised that had gone so easily. Then again, this was a tavern on a port the man probably saw all sorts of currencies and people. 

Nines let out a sigh of relief as he took a sip of the drink. It was bitter and it stung going down, but he didn't hate it. His experience with alcohol was limited because he couldn't exactly drink anything when living under the ocean and Gavin didn't drink often. Though he still had a decent collection of wine, it wasn't used often except for 'ritual purposes.'

Nines sighed and took another drink. He smacked his lips at the odd favour that he couldn't decide if he liked it or not, but he kept drinking as to not be rude or waste his money. 

He still wasn't sure when he got to the bottom of the mug and he was less sure of anything as his head felt like it was fogging over slightly.

"You like it?" The barkeep asked as he was standing in front of him cleaning a glass.

"I'm not sure… what do I call you?" Nines asked.

"Call me Fowler," he informed simply, "What are you called?" He asked simply as he swiped a coin from the pile, Nines still hadn't moved, as he refilled Nines' drink.

"Nines," He answered, offering a small closed-mouth smile. 

"Weird," Fowler mused. 

Nines flushed and hoped it wasn't too obvious. "Do you also run an inn?" He asked quickly.

"Yeah, got a few rooms. It'll be two of those golds of yours if you've got them."

Nines moved carefully as he reached in and grabbed two gold pieces, he also tucked away from the silver as well. 

"That works," Fowler said as he grabbed the gold and pocketed it, "I'll grab you a key."

Nines nodded, hoping there was a tub in the room but too nervous to ask. Not wanting to seem odd.

Nines started drinking on the second drink and waited, as he got the nerve to look around the room. He was actually quite surprised to note many of the patrons were not humans either. Just a mix of the world's races and Nines felt some tension melt from his shoulders, maybe this wouldn't be so hard.

There was a clink that pulled Nines' attention back to the bar, there was now a key in front of him.

"It's for the room labelled with the number 3," he jerked his head to left, "down that hall. Don't mess the room up."

Nines nodded and understood the threat. Not that the elf had anything to worry about regardless. He just silently agreed and made to finish his drink in silence, trying not to let his thoughts wander to seafoam green eyes too much. 

Once he got to the bottom of the glass once again, he decided he was done. He felt light enough. He slowly stood up and kept his shoulder bag close, he looked up at Fowler and offered him another closed-lip smile. "Thank you."

"No problem, have a nice night or whatever."

Nines understood that and nodded and started down the hallway, looking for a room with the number 3. It didn't take him long and he only struggled a bit with the key before he got the door unlocked and it creaked open. It was dark, but that didn't affect Nines eyes, so he took in the little room easily. It was nice but very different from Gavin's cabin. 

He took the steps inside and clicked the door behind him and locked it. He made his first priority to light one of the lanterns. He still wasn't fond of fire but knew it had its uses. He struck the match with minimal flinching and enjoyed the smell once the oil lantern was burning. Then he disposed of the match.

Then he turned around and looked for the tubroom and let out a relieved sigh as he saw the tub. He started filling it as soon as he reached it.

He stripped quickly and folded his clothes putting them on the counter. Then with a sigh, he climbed into the tub and then the magic melted away and his true form returned. 

He turned the tub off when it was full and then closed his eyes for the night. 


	16. In Plain View

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last one, boys. Can you believe it?

The morning came gently as Nines opened his eyes. He was up around the sunrise as usual. He felt refreshed and content as he basked in the freshwater. But eventually, he did drain the tub and climb out, transforming all the while. He dressed quickly and grabbed his shoulder bag. 

Upon walking out of the bathroom he noted the lantern had burned out overnight. He sighed at the irresponsibility of leaving that burning unwatched or lighting it at all in the first place. He shook his head against such trivial thoughts. The lantern burning out on its own was of little consequence. Then again, burning the tavern down wouldn't have made a good impression nor kept his word with the barkeep.

Nines checked over himself one more time, making sure his disguise was convincing and his bag was still full. After confirming both, he unlocked his door and walked out. He felt a tiny bit lighter than he had yesterday, but he also felt he’d never be whole again. So much of himself had been built by someone he’d never see again. The weight of love lost that would weigh on his shoulders for the rest of his time alive.

He squared his shoulders and walked into the main part of the tavern and smelled more than saw that Fowler was cooking breakfast foods. The aroma made his stomach rumble and he went to the bar and wondered about how he would go buying breakfast when he couldn’t see the barkeep. 

He sat down at the bar where there were a few other patrons seated and looked at the old and stained wood. 

“Hey, what do you want?” a shaper voice called out, one that Nines didn't recognize. 

Nines blinked and looked up and saw a smaller being. He had to think about their race or anything about them for that matter. They just had an air of ambiguousness about them. They were probably a halfling, he settled on. The rest he was still a bit lost on.

“Oh, I was hoping to order breakfast and to return my key,” Nines said finally.

“Okay, we're doing eggs and sausage this morning, that work?” they asked, and Nines nodded, “Good. Key?” They stuck a small hand out.

Nines reached into his bag and retrieved the key and handed it off to the smaller barkeep. 

“Thank you. You enjoy your stay?”

“I think so, I mainly just slept,” He answered honestly.

It must have been the right thing to say because they laughed as they hung the key up, “Now, that’s the words of a true adventurer.”

Nines smiled, his dull teeth peeking out with the wideness of his grin. “I’m still getting used to it, I’ll be honest. Travelling is a lot more tiring than I could have ever thought it would be.”

“Yeah, you’ll get used to it, I’m sure,” The halfling assured, “That or you die.”

Nines paled considerably, but before he could respond Fowler walked out of the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at them. “What did I tell you about scaring our customers?” 

They winked and shrugged. “I don’t seem to remember. Oh, and look at that I have a plate to make.” Then they offered him another smile before they walked into the kitchen. 

“Ignore them,” Fowler said in greeting, but Nines could see the caring in his eyes. It made the siren’s throat dry and the ache once again became more noticeable. He felt a bit jealous, but he knew it was unjustified. He didn't want to become jaded so easily. 

Nines opened his mouth to respond but he saw the change in Fowler’s face as he made a face of recognition. “You know if you're trying to forget. A good mug of mead goes well with breakfast. Though I don’t recommend doing it often.”

Nines shrugged, “I’d rather just have the food. I need to be useful today and as much of a lightweight I am, one would be too many.”

Fowler nodded, “I get that, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. Make sure it stays there.”

Nines blinked and nodded, that was solid advice. Then the halfling reappeared with a tray full of several plates full of food. They passed them out to the patrons and one ended up in front of Nines.

He thanked them and laid another few of the silver coins on the table before he started tucking in. He couldn’t help compare the food to Gavin’s. He ate quickly and tried to enjoy it as much as possible, which it wasn’t hard to, thankfully. 

After he had finished eating, he made some small talk and learned about the shops around town and see if there was any land or houses for sale in the area. There were a few, he’d go chat with some people after he left the tavern. He had a few more steps added to his ever changed and unsteady plan, but he still hung onto the fact it was a plan and it was  _ something.  _ That feeling was all that he had been hanging onto over the last 48 hours.

Nines eventually decided it was time for him to be on his way. He made sure to say his goodbyes and wandered into the sunlight street. The port city was much more active in the daytime, even this early in the morning. The dew could be seen on the grass peeking up from between the cobblestone and on the flowers decorating areas next to the shops. He found it mesmerizing.

He was jerked out of his admiration of the world by the sounds of hooves clopping. He turned towards the sound with wide eyes expecting goats, but the large four-legged beasts were far too big to be goats.  _ Horses. _ His brain provided absently. He took a step away from them and decided he didn’t like them either, they still had those forsaken  _ demon eyes. _ Which also unlike the goats were nearly eye level with him. He was not saying to find out if they treat him like Frankie tended to.

He turned away clutching his bag tighter to his chest and started towards the port end of the city where the bank was supposed to be located. The next tangible step on his list, because carrying around the mostly unusable money that could give him away was extremely stressful indeed.

Nines found the bank and sighed happily as he walked through the fancy doors. The inside was lavish and warmly decorated. He didn’t trust it. It reminded far too much of the lavish nest the Queen of his pod would make to establish her status, a pointless pursuit in Nines’ opinion. But these were the people who could help him from what he’d been told.

He walked closer to the windows where the workers were busy writing away. One gentleman noticed him and looked up with a smile. He got up from his office and headed towards Nines.

Nines pegged the banker as a human pretty quickly, but the siren still had to hide his nerves from said human as he approached.

“Well, hello,” The banker greeted, “What can I help you with?”

Nines flushed, “Uh, yes. I just returned from some work... Overseas… and was hoping to have some currency and metals appraised and exchanged for the local coinage.”

The man smiled, “Okay, I can help you. Take a seat.” He gestured to the well made and fancy chair in front of his desk. They walked into the room together. Once they were both seated the man crossed his legs and hands and laser-focused on Nines, “What did you bring me?”

Nines had decided on the way over to keep the precious stones for selling at jewellers and other more qualified shopkeepers. He was here to exchange coins, and that was it. He reached into his bag and pulled one out and offered it to the man. “Take a look.”

The man’s eyes sparkled as he took the coin and lifted into the light and turned it over several times and hummed occasionally. He then offered it back to Nines. “Well, that’s a solid gold piece from across the sea, and I’m guessing you're a sailor, but yeah, I can exchange those. They're pretty valuable. How many do you want to exchange?”

“A few,” Nines said simply as he pulled out a dozen or so of the coins. He left himself plenty. He didn't want to raise suspicion by the quantity. 

The transaction from there was simple and Nines left with a decent amount of local currency and some shopping to do.

Nines didn't want to buy too many things, just a new outfit and some things for travel. Like a tent and a canteen. Maybe even find a few leads on where to set up a farm. 

He looked around the shops that were starting to open and didn’t know where to start. He didn’t exactly feel comfortable around this many humans and other land races. He was just going to talk a little as possible and get this over as fast as he could manage.

He mentally went through his small list of wares he needed and found a general store and decided that is where he was going to start. He crossed the threshold and the first thing he noticed was the smells that assaulted his sensitive nose. Food, leather, lacquer, the smell of a fire, it was almost enough to make his eyes water. He swallowed around the feelings as he walked to where the travelling supplies were displayed, quickly picking up a canteen and examining it. Well made, he decided, tucking it in his arms. He continued this process through this whole list until he had everything he needed for a decent trip.

The shopkeeper was thrilled at his purchase and chatted away as the pair bartered about prices. Nines left with a nice backpack that was packed and ready for the road. He felt a bit more ready to face the world after that. One step at a time.

His next stop was the tailor. He needed another outfit or two and something to cover his ears and gills that was nicer to his skin than his kind of scratchy sweater. 

He found the tailor's store pretty quickly and once he walked in, he found it was much more pleasant on his senses than the general store. Quieter and with not nearly as many smells. He was even greeted by the half-orc that owned the shop pretty soon after he came in. She was short and pretty sweet and helped him find what he needed, even though he was quiet and shy. The only problem with that visit was that she wanted to touch him a lot as he fitted him and found what he needed. He didn’t like that and if he had been in the water his fins would have been puffed out and he might have even hissed. But he survived and left with what he needed, feeling so much less exposed with a bandana wrapped around his ears, he finally let them reform into fins. A good bit of his stress melted with that small change. He felt like he'd never find a physical balance, but the discomfort was well worth the freedom.

Nines left the shop and looked towards the town and sighed, he needed to get out of here. He looked toward the ocean one more time and chewed his lip with his still dull teeth. Yeah, it was time to move on. He didn’t need the ocean anymore and he didn’t need too much more here either.

He readjusted his bags and then took a deep breath through his nose and turned his back on the ocean for the final time as he started walking down the path inland to find a place to settle. It was time for him to have a good say in his future, even if he was going to be alone. Alone but free, even if he lost his heart along the way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can y'all guess the cameos in this chapter? ;D


	17. Coming Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The grand finale!

Gavin hated watching the leaves change and fall and the breeze turn cold as the fruits ripened and fell. The chickens and goats were getting their heavier coats for winter. The extra food was processed and put away. The house winterized. The water sources secured.

It was winter and Gavin hated it more than he had ever hated it before. He didn’t want to spend another winter alone. He was _ tired _ of being alone. Though he felt he was getting used to it again, unfortunately. He hated having to relearn how to do everything all on his own again. Not to mention dealing with the expanded projects that he only managed to do because Nines had been there with him. 

Gavin had used more and more magic to finish tasks, because he simply couldn’t manage to do them on his own. It was infuriating and he never really stopped being hurt or angry. He knew why Nines left and he understood, but that didn’t change the way it broke his heart everyday that he didn’t come back. He’d fucking played himself in everyway he could have and was contanstly paying the price.

He was right, the hope had dried up by winter, leaving him even more bitter than he already was before. Which is why he was sitting at the tavern in the town over aiming at finding the bottom of a bottle several times before bugging Fowler and passing out in a room he’d already paid for in advance. 

He hadn’t come to town to get drunk at first. Just to sell some of his stuff and get a few more things he would need for the harsh coastal winters. 

“You still need to tell me why the fuck you're so mopey.”

_ And _ had wanted to see Tina. The half orc tailor was as close to a best friend as he’d ever had. He adored her, tusks and all. They’d ended up here after he stopped in towards the end of the day to buy a new winter coat, and she’d insisted he’d look too sad. Therefore, alcohol. Funny how things worked out like that.

“I haven’t really wanted to talk about it, Teenie,” He grumbled as he tucked his head into his arms.

She frowned a bit. She hated that nickname, given from both her name and her well below average half orc height. “But you clearly need to. How many more beers do I have to get in you before you spill?”

Gavin rolled his eyes and looked up at Fowler and rolled his eyes, “I think I’d pass out before that.”

“Well, fuck,” Tina said sagely, “Gonna try anyway. Fowler, grab another round for your favourite assholes.”

Fowler rolled his eyes as he grabbed the mugs, “Far from my favourites, but definitely assholes.” Then refilled mugs were placed in front of them.

Tina chuckled at the joke and blew a kiss in his direction, earning her a chuckle from the large elf. She turned back to Gavin as he pushed the now full mug against his arm with nudging persistence. “But seriously, you need to get this off your chest.”

Gavin sighed and it sounded just as broken as he felt. “It’s nothing I shouldn’t be over by now. It’s been months now at least.”

Tina’s eyes widened and she leaned closer. “Would you rather talk about it in the room?” she asked with a soft sincerity that made Gavin heart hurt a bit. 

“Maybe…” he looked back towards Fowler and then to the drink as he sat up and popped his back. He got a bit self conscious, and leaned back forward, his forearms resting on the stained bar, his head hanging. He decided maybe talking about it being vague would actually make him feel better. He grabbed the mug and chugged it. Letting out a hiss of air as he set it down, the glass making a clinkv as it was forcefully put down. He looked at Tina and sighed. The heaviness that hasn't left him since his beloved Siren disappeared, settled over his shoulders again. Maybe he could just let it all out. He looked up here with his shiny green eyes.

"Tina, how did you find someone that actually stays? Like... it was never a question whether or not he loved me. He  _ did _ love me, god he loved me so much... He just... didn't stay," his voice cracked a bit as he forced the words past his dry lips.

There was a silence that followed his question and confession. Even Fowler paused in his motions of cleaning the bar.

"Oh,  _ Gavin,"  _ Tina said slowly, compassion leaking into her tone, "I didn't even know you found someone."

"He was shy and it was still warm when he left," he shook his head as he leaned back again. Not able to maintain eye contact anymore. "But it doesn't matter anyway. He's not coming back. That was phcking clear to me by the time the leaves started changing."

Tina gently reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks," Gavin replied listlessly. He didn't have the energy for this any longer. "I think… I think I'm going to call it a night." No amount of drinking could soothe the aching in his chest. The wounds that for some reason just wouldn't fucking heal no matter how much he wanted them to. Or how hard he tried to forget.

Tina nodded, "Let me head that way with you." 

Gavin grunted as he climbed off the bar stool and quickly made a move to pay his and Tina's tab. Making sure she wasn't looking when he cleared hers as well. She was too good for him not to do that at the very least. She offered him a hand and pulled him up. He only stumbled a little bit. He wasn't drunk, but he decidedly wasn't sober either. 

"Teenie," Gavin mumbled as he leaned into her side. "I just miss him. I wanna know why he wouldn't come home. Why had he felt we were better off apart? He was  _ wrong. _ He was  _ so wrong, _ I can barely manage without him now. I miss him so much"

Tina just listened and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Gav." She answered as she started leading him to his room. 

There were a few moments of him resisting feeling like he wanted just a few more drinks. He wasn't drunk enough for all the emotions he just pulled to the surface. "Maybe one more drink?" He grumbled.

Time just sighed and pulled him closer and nearly knocked him over, which caused him to end up looking at a corner of the tavern he hadn't glanced at yet. 

That's when his world stopped. 

Looking at him with wide ocean blue eyes was his siren. Nines was tucked away in the corner of the bar, his head and most of his curls covered by a knit cap and his gills covered by a matching scarf. He just stared and his face tinted that endearing purplish colour as he noticed that  _ Gavin _ was looking back at him. Noticing that Gavin really saw him. He was frozen and his eyes widened slightly. Panic crossing his gorgeous features. 

Gavin's world stopped and he stopped fighting Tina completely. He was just as startled as the siren, both of them frozen in time as they were forced to see each other again in such a fashion.

_ "Nines…"  _ Gavin said earnestly, barely above a whisper. He could tell that the siren heard him as he reacted with a twitch of his nose. A nervous tick, one that would usually go with his ear fins or gills fluttering as well.

Tina was saying something, but Gavin couldn't hear it over the rushing in his ears. He had to go to Nines.  _ He had to. _

He pulled out of her grasp easily despite her protests. He walked towards Nines like a man possessed. 

Nines didn't react beyond his eyes widening and him pulling his shoulder closed a bit.

Tina had gone quiet behind them, probably having put the pieces together by that point. Though she didn't make a move to stop what was about to happen.

Gavin walked all the way up to Nines' table and didn't stop as he hovered over the much larger man and watched him scoot back into his seat. "Nines?" He repeated, question in his tone. 

Nines blinked, and looked down. Silence followed the words, shame colouring his cheeks.

There were a few moments of silence as Gavin waited for Nines to say something,  _ anything. _ But nothing left the siren’s mouth. Then Gavin felt the barely contained hurt and rage from the last several months and nights alone fly to the surface as he roared.  ** _"You fucking coward!"_ ** He reached forward and grabbed Nines by the front of his coat and jerked him out of his chair. It fell with a clatter.

Nines let out a small but shrill startled noise. "Ga…  _ Agh!" _ He managed to choke out, but was cut off by a sharp jerk from Gavin.

_"You're a fucking _**_bastard!"_** Gavin screamed, "What do you think you're doing here? _Huh?"_ He demanded.

Nines put his hands up and swallowed nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing with the motion. "I… I just wanted a drink." He barely managed to get out.

"Well, phck your drink then!" Gavin replied harshly as he shoved Nines into the table, knocking over said drink in the process. "You've got some fucking nerve being here!" 

Nines continued to sputter as wild emotions overtook his face, but still no more words came out of his dry lips. 

Then before Gavin could continue to scream, he was pulled roughly back by a large hand.  _ "Enough, Gavin!" _ The booming voice of Fowler echoed around the mostly quiet tavern. All the attention was on the furious witch and the shy man.

The force of the pull caused Gavin to drop Nines and the siren went crashing to the floor landing in the spilled drink. He let out a few small hiccuping noises either from shock or hurt, Gavin couldn't tell through his rage. Then tears slipped down Nines cheeks, the inky blue colour shocking the witch back to his senses. 

There was a small echo of murmurs from the people who were watching the nightly spectacle. 

Nines shook his head and quickly wiped at his face scrambling to get up. Slipping clumsily in the split drink before he gained his footing. "I just wanted a drink," he repeated mortified. Then he was bolting for the door, taking several clumsy steps, basically crawling. Incriminating tears pouring down his cheeks.

Gavin was frozen and when the door slammed as Nines bolted reality leaked back into him and the muted sound of the bar exploded back into his focus. 

"...n't just beat up some random guy like that!" Tina's voice cut through the fog of his hurt and rage.

"Not random," he responded lamely as he ripped his shoulder out of Fowler's grip and started back towards the door. He was owed an explanation and he was going to get it. 

~ 

Nines was scrambling to get a plan together. All his stuff and supplies were already tucked away in his room for the night and he had no idea how to get there without running into Gavin again. 

He was panting and trying desperately to calm his aching heart, frantic breathing, and the yet to stop tears.  _ He didn't know what to do! _ Gavin just appeared out of nowhere and just potentially outed him as a siren to everyone in the tavern and that basically meant the whole town by the end of the week. 

This could ruin  _ everything _ he's managed to scrape together by himself over the last few months. Just as he turned to hide in the alley next to the tavern he knew he'd been found out before Gavin even said a word.

_ "Nines!  _ You better fucking stop running or I swear I'm glueing you to the ground  _ literally!" _ Gavin growled as he appeared at the mouth of the alley.

Nines froze, knowing Gavin was fully capable of fulfilling that threat. He turned around slowly and looked at the man he still loves with his entire being, despite both time and distance. His heart ached as he looked into those seafoam green eyes. The siren just gaped at the witch, unwilling and unsure of how to move forward.

"You just going to stand there? Or are you going to explain yourself?" Gavin growled out, accusation leaking into his words.

Nines filled in the blanks. He spoke up, his voice still small, "you already know my explanation." He’d already explained himself the day he ran.

"Well, it's shit," Gavin growled as he took a step forward, "I want a real one, because if it was still,  _ 'I'm a monster and can't be trusted around people.' _ Then why the fuck are you at a phcking tavern?"

Nines swallowed nervously, his gills wavering under his scarf. It did look horrible that he’d been at the tavern, then again he’d never expected to see Gavin. "I can't be trusted around  _ you." _

"Why, because you love me or something as stupid as that?" 

Nines let out a pained chirp, his eyes widening. Words failing him for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

"Don't lie to me either. I already know the truth," Gavin pressed as his anger finally started to melt away. He was shaking as his eyes went to the cobblestone alley. "Tell me  _ why," _ it came out as a cracked whisper, desperate.

Nines swallowed, and looked down at his feet. "Gavin…You clearly already know… You know that I lo-,” He shook his head, cutting himself off, “Why are you demanding that out of me? And after you outed me to the whole bar that still all think I'm a human. Or at least  _ did." _ He hissed. The nerves about the future and what that meant for his life now coming to the surface. 

"Yeah? Well, you broke my heart!" Gavin snarled looking back up with tears in his eyes.

Nines blinked, his own anger boiling under his skin along with the fear and heartache.  ** _"No!_ ** You don't get to do that after what you just did! What's gonna happen to me and my life if everyone here shuns me because they know the truth now?  _ Huh? _ " His tone raised in pitch and panic, "I'm gonna  _ starve! _ My birds are gonna starve too! All I've ever wanted was a new life and you're always ruining that for me!" He was sobbing in earnest now. He wasn’t even sure where the outburst came from. So much so he had spouted untruths.

Gavin recoiled at the words and the tone. He hadn't expected so much pain from the siren. “Why… Why would that matter?  _ Starve?” _ He was tripping over his words.

“What? Like you don’t know?” Nines hissed out, his teeth gaining points, “Everyone  _ hates _ sirens, Gavin.  **Everyone!** Hell, even other sirens most times. People around here find that out and I'm going to have my face on a bounty poster and then I won't be safe on land or the sea!” The outburst was shaking him from the inside out, the silent tears turning into chest rattling sobs. His hands going to his hair, knocking his knit hat off kilter.

Gavin had taken a few steps forward, his drunken features twisting into ones Nines’ hadn’t seen before let alone began to figure out what they meant. He even felt himself wanting to comfort the witch, but the pain twisting in his chest prevented him. He was so fucking hurt and angry.

“I go there and someone from my pod’s gonna find me and then slit my throat in front of my fucking brother! Hell,  _ my guppies! _ This was my only chance Gavin!” He cried, his legs finally giving out and he collapsed to the filthy stones. His whole body was shaking and most of his transformation was disappearing. All expect his tail fin was shimmering in and out of view.

Nines didn’t notice Gavin come closer until he felt warm hands on his own tangled into his curls. He felt some of the tension leave his body instantly, the touch something he’d missed acutely in the months since he’d ran away. 

“Ni,” Gavin said softly as he gently removed the clawed hands from hurting this siren any further, “I’m sorry… I wasn’t thinking back in there. I didn’t think about anything…”

“You don’t usually,” Nines let out a wet chuckle as he loosened the grip and let his hands be moved. His head fell forward and landed against Gavin’s soft chest with a quiet thump. All of his energy having left him. He was never good at staying angry for long. Fuck, he’d missed Gavin so fucking much. Even with him being the rat bastard that he was.

There was a few minutes of silence as they just sat there in the filthy alley. Both of them unable to decide how to move forward. The power of their emotions washing over them. Both of them just slowly processing. Passively holding each other's hands, as if they were the only real things in the world. 

Nines couldn't find the words or the strength to break such a silence, but as it turned out, he didn't have to.

"You've got birds you said?" Gavin whispered after what felt like ages. The volume of his words were soft, but that was all it took for the dams to break. 

Nines blinked and he felt fresh tears run down his cheeks at the motion. Then his hands held onto Gavin's even tighter. After another second he looked up and smiled despite the tears pouring down his face. He let a small bubble of broken laughter leave his lips. He shook his head and squeezed those hands tighter. "Yeah," the siren finally managed, "I've got birds."

Gavin held back on his hands tighter, gripping with the same force. It was as if he was trying to convey the sheer volume of his feelings that way. "Chickens?" He asked it as if it was the most important question to ever be asked.

Nines nodded, "and ducks."

"That's good," Gavin whispered, "I bet they love you."

Nines took a deep breath to steady himself, "I like to think so."

_ "I _ love you."

There was a silence as seafoam green eyes met crystal blue. The world tilting to the left. Nines blinked and a shocked chirp clicked in the back of his throat uselessly. 

"I want you to come home," Gavin sputtered, his face turning a shameful shade of red as he tried to fill in the space. "I miss you so fucking much... I love you so fucking much. Please, it's not the same without you." He reached out and pulled Nines' hand to his lips and kissed them.

Nines' breath caught and he was still processing the words and the truth he could feel in them. "Gavin…" he started mouth floundering like the fish out of water he was. What did he say? If he admitted the truth, he'd never be able to go back. It was hard enough to leave the first time.

Gavin's face was ruddy and a few more tears slipped down his face, taking that small silence as rejection. "I know you love me back. I  _ know," _ his tone was so broken, "I could breathe in the ocean…" 

Nines let out a whine and he couldn't help the flood of emotions that burned in his chest. He knew he loved Gavin, he loved Gavin more than anything in the world. He couldn't handle the way his throat was closing up around the words, his gills fluttering uselessly under his scarf. "Gavin… I…"

_ "Please," _ Gavin begged, "you don't have to come back. I just don't want you to lie to me. You're not a monster, you never were one and you'll never be one. You're the sweetest and kindest person I've ever met. I would…"

"Gavin," Nines interrupted gently and the smaller man choked on his next words. "Gavin… you know… you said," he tried to get his mouth to form the words he needed. He had to say something he couldn't stand to see Gavin so broken, he could even smell the distress coming off of him in waves. "It's true."

Gavin deflated and he crumbled a bit, "I broke the spell you put on me too." 

Nines choked at that. 

"It was difficult, I'll give you that," Gavin added quickly. "Molly told me not to. She misses you too. So do the chickens… Frankie's even been throwing a fit about you being gone." Gavin kept talking faster as he rushed to get everything out. 

Nines smiled gently. Then he reached up and touched Gavin's cheek lightly. "I'm sorry about the spell. I... I just didn't want you to remember me like that."

Gavin leaned into the touch eagerly, almost desperate for it, "Like what? Like you were the luckiest man in the cosmos? How you were smiling like the goddess herself blessed you with me?" He swallowed around the swelling emotions. "It's one of my favourite memories."

Nines swallowed, "I was the luckiest siren to have ever lived when I was holding you then." He looked down, shame making his face heat, "until I hurt you."

Gavin reached out and gently grabbed Nines' chin and guided the siren's gaze back to his, then he shook his head. "You didn't hurt me. You just overwhelmed me. That's all. You had so many feelings that you had to share them."

Nines blinked at that. He'd never thought about it like that. "I, uh... I don't know what to say. I feel like everything's gone sideways."

"That's okay, I'm talking enough for both of us I think," Gavin added with a soft chuckle.

Nines laughed gently at that, but shook his head as his doubt was still fighting for attention. "How can you forgive me so easily?"

"I already told you, I love you, and we both made mistakes. We're just supposed to learn from them," Gavin supplied, "we just need practice. That's all, but you have to give us a chance."

Nines looked at Gavin with wide eyes searching for deceit he  _ knew _ he wouldn't find. He shook his head and there was a rush of something breaking loose in his chest. "Would the girls and Benedict be okay with new friends?" The question had so much weight, Nines felt the tension leave him with each word.

Gavin threw his head back and laughed the sound like the ocean waves crashing against the shore. "Of course!" He said as his eyes went back to Nines' slightly slit ones, "I'm sure they’d love for our family to get bigger again."

Nines nodded and grabbed onto Gavin and pulled him as close as he physically could. His face burying itself into Gavin's neck, he let out a small noise. "I'm so, so sorry. I should have never left."

Gavin wrapped his arms back around Nines and held on for dear life, as if the second he let go, Nines would disappear again. "Hey, hey. It's okay. You're here now. I never thought I'd get the chance to ever see you again."

"Me neither," Nines said slowly, and this time he was going to make it count. "I love you too... So very much, more than all the water in the oceans and the seas."

Gavin let out a gasp and held tighter still. A small sob escaped his throat, "I love you too. More than there are stars in the sky."

Nines pulled back and looked into those seafoam eyes he loved, "are you ready to take me back home?"

"It's not a home without you there," Gavin said softly.

"Then take me home."

"You are my home. I'm already there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I gotta say thank you so much for sticking around with me after all these months and all these chapters. This story was an absolute gift to write and I love how it turned out and I'm extremely please to say that it is finally complete! 
> 
> Every single comment meant the world to me, even if I have trouble responding doesn't mean I didn't read them and treasure them. Thank yopu so much fopr every view and kudos. You're amazing and I'm so glad to say...
> 
> The End!
> 
> Goodbye for now,  
Stu


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